Boat Registration Service


The Basics
Because boats are not vehicles that average commuters use every twenty-four hour period, one can hands forget that boats require documentation to own and use properly. In the state of Pennsylvania, every gunkhole with a motor requires a title and registration with PA Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC). To go a valid title and registration for your gunkhole – whether it be to register a new boat or complete a registration renewal – you can contact a private automobile tag bureau similar 309 Automobile Tags for in-depth assistance.

Only first, to help you avoid defoliation with registrations, penalties and/or fines, here are the basic regulations for different designations of boats.

Categories of Boats and Gunkhole Registrations

The types of boats designated by the term "motorboat" include inboard motorboats regardless of length, personal watercraft (waverunners) with a model year of 1997 and newer, and all outboard motorboats 14 anxiety or longer with a model year of 1997 or newer. If yous purchased the model of motorboat earlier 1997 and never titled it, you must bring a current or past registration or a notarized bill of auction showing you as the buyer at the time of the buy to the agency you plan to annals with. You must too bring a state ownership affidavit in such a case.

The PA Fish & Boat Committee doesn't care for all boats and boat registrations the same way, however. Here are some exceptions:

  • If your gunkhole doesn't have a motor, you lot don't need to annals information technology unless you plan to use it in a Fish & Boat Committee access surface area, or a state park, lake or river. In these cases you tin can utilise a Launch Let instead of a traditional registration.
  • If yous ain an Amphibious ATV, your vehicle will require dual registrations. For use in PA waters you must register the ATV with the PA Fish & Gunkhole Commission, and for use on dry out country, you must register your ATV with the Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR).

For more detail almost the different registrations used for fuel and non-fuel boats, you tin can refer to this handy page.

Also Read: Republic of PA "USA Semiquincentennial" Registration Plate

What You Need to Bring to an Agency to Transfer Title and Annals Your Gunkhole

Depending on if y'all are selling or buying the gunkhole, you lot may need to bring unlike documentation to an agency.

As a seller, you will need to bring:

  • The title and registration of the boat. If it was never titled, yous must bring a seller'south registration bill of fare, or a seller's official affirmation of ownership issued by their Land Jurisdiction.
  • Your PA driver's license or PA ID card.
  • A Bill of Sale (notarized if there is no title present).

As a buyer, y'all must nowadays:

  • A valid PA commuter'due south license (if you lot exercise not accept ane, then you must bring a PA ID menu).
  • If the seller is not nowadays, a gunkhole title and/or seller'south registration card, or a seller's official affidavit of ownership issued by his or her land jurisdiction.

The Brass Tacks of PA Boat Titling and Registration

The official form for titling and or registering your boat with the PA Fish & Boat Commission is the REV-336.

If you lot financed your boat with a bank loan, you will demand to bring in the lender information to the agency in order to have the required lienholder clause added. If you are bringing in your gunkhole from out of country or purchasing an out-of-PA watercraft, you may desire to call ahead so the agency can ascertain the policies of the exterior state before preparing your registration.

When yous exit the agency, yous volition accept a 60 solar day temporary registration while your title transfer will exist candy. Once the title transfer finishes processing, you will receive your two-year registration and title in the postal service from PFBC.

Fees and Fines for Not Registering Your Boat Before Use

If you are stopped on public h2o in PA without a proper registration and title, yous run the risk of receiving a penalisation. In lighter cases, you might receive the minimum punishment of $25, simply in more severe cases you could face a $250+ fine and fifty-fifty a pocket-size amount of jail time.
Naturally, each violation and penalty will vary depending on the case. For a comprehensive listing of the penalties and fees you could incur for gunkhole registration and titling violations, refer hither. For specific inquiries about boat registrations, championship transfers and related documentation, feel free to contact 309 Auto Tags.