Vessel Registration

Vessel Registrations

Click here to renew your vessel registration.

All motorized vessels, commercial and private, must be registered, titled and issued a decal before they can be used in Florida waters. The decal must be affixed to the port side of the boat. All vessels 16 feet and over must be titled.

Vessels are registered on a staggered basis according to the registered owner’s birth month. The registration expires at midnight on the owner’s birthday. Vessels registered in a company name expire on June 30. Renewals can be processed on-line, by mail or at any of our locations.

Vessel registration fees are based on the length of the boat.

Obtaining a Florida Boat Title

Application with a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin

The Manufacturer’s Statement/Certificate of Origin (MSO/MCO) must be completed by the selling dealer/store for all new boats. A dealer sales tax statement, proof of sales tax paid, or Form DR40 (Sales Tax Exemption) must be provided, or sales tax must be collected at time of application.

Application with a Florida Title

To transfer a Florida title of a used boat to the new owner, the “Transfer of Title” section on the title must be completed. If the vessel is purchased through a dealer, the dealer reassignment also must be completed. Sales tax must be paid, or Form DR40 (sales tax exemption), dealer sales tax statement, or proof of sales tax paid, must be provided at the time of application. Boat registration must be transferred at the time of title transfer.

Application with an Out-of-State Title or Registration

Many states do not require boats to be titled. Proof of ownership on a used boat from a non-title state is the vessel registration. A bill of sale is required with the registration to transfer ownership. If a title is available, it must be completed and notarized (if state required) for transfer processing. Florida sales tax will be collected if applicable.

Sojourners (Dual Registration)

A non-resident boater with a valid out-of-state registration certificate may use his/her vessel in Florida waters for 90 days without applying for a Florida registration. This applies to pleasure boats only. If the nonresident intends to use the craft in Florida longer than 90 days, the boat must be registered with the Department of Environmental Protection which is processed at the Tax Collector’s Office.

Types of Payment

Most Renewals can be paid on-line using E-Check (free - no bank card user fees applied) or, by using Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. A bank card user fee will be added for all credit/debit card transactions, whether on-line or in office.

When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us to either:

use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account
process the payment as a check transaction.