Motorized boats in Florida must be titled and registered to use the state's public waterways. Title and registration of vessels under FLHSMV's purview per Chapter 328 of the Florida Statutes. Title and registration applications are processed by county tax collectors or license plate agents. A boat can be registered for either one or two years at the owner's discretion.
Just like a new on-road motor vehicle, a new or used boat buyer has 30 days from the date of purchase to apply for a boat title and register the vessel. The owner must keep a copy of the receipt on board the ship for the duration of the 30 days. After 30 days, it is considered a second-degree misdemeanor to operate a vessel without proper registration.
Make sure you get your boat registered before taking it out on any of Florida's public waterways if it has a motor or is longer than 16 feet. Not everyone needs to get registered. The following categories of watercraft are exempt from registration requirements:
- Privately owned watercraft that never leave the owner's property
- Government-owned ships in the United States
- Lifeboats are specialized boats used solely for rescue missions.
- craft with no motors shorter than 16 feet in length
- Long or short, a canoe, kayak, racing shell, or scull is a boat that doesn't need an engine.
If you are registering a boat from another state in Florida, you do not need to comply with registration requirements for that state. You can drive it throughout Florida for up to 90 days without registering it if you already have valid registration from another state or territory.
Keep in mind that you must also comply with the Florida boat trailer registration regulations if your boat trailer weighs more than 2,000 pounds.
How to register your boats in Florida?
A Florida boat registration requires the following items:
- Boat ownership documentation (such as a bill of sale, construction contract, manufacturer's statement of origin, federal marine document, or another document acceptable to the FLHSMV) must be shown before a boat can be registered.
- Title granted
- Costs associated with registering
From powerboats to luxury yachts to fishing boats, we know what paperwork needs to happen to get you on the high seas. We realize that you would rather be fishing than filling out papers. So that you can spend as much time as possible enjoying your yacht, let us handle the paperwork required by the US Coast Guard. Marine vessel registration and titling can be time-consuming and frustrating processes due to their complexity and ambiguity. There is no need for you to worry about the paperwork or the finer points of the process because we will take care of it all. Contact us today for all your marine vessel registration needs!
