Boat Registration Service


The Nuts
Because boats are non vehicles that average commuters utilize every twenty-four hours, ane can easily forget that boats crave documentation to ain and apply properly. In the state of Pennsylvania, every boat with a motor requires a title and registration with PA Fish & Gunkhole Committee (PFBC). To get a valid title and registration for your boat – whether information technology exist to annals a new boat or complete a registration renewal – you can contact a private auto tag bureau like 309 Machine Tags for in-depth aid.

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

Categories of Boats and Boat 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 fourteen feet or longer with a model year of 1997 or newer. If y'all purchased the model of motorboat before 1997 and never titled it, you must bring a current or past registration or a notarized nib of sale showing you as the buyer at the time of the purchase to the agency you plan to register with. You must as well bring a state ownership affidavit in such a case.

The PA Fish & Gunkhole Commission doesn't treat all boats and boat registrations the same way, notwithstanding. Here are some exceptions:

  • If your gunkhole doesn't have a motor, you don't need to register it unless you plan to utilise it in a Fish & Boat Commission admission area, or a land park, lake or river. In these cases you can use a Launch Allow instead of a traditional registration.
  • If you own an Amphibious ATV, your vehicle volition crave dual registrations. For utilize in PA waters you must register the ATV with the PA Fish & Boat Commission, and for use on dry land, yous must register your ATV with the Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR).

For more than detail about the different registrations used for fuel and not-fuel boats, you can refer to this handy page.

Also Read: Commonwealth of PA "U.s. Semiquincentennial" Registration Plate

What You Need to Bring to an Agency to Transfer Title and Register Your Boat

Depending on if you are selling or buying the boat, you may demand to bring different documentation to an agency.

As a seller, y'all will need to bring:

  • The title and registration of the boat. If information technology was never titled, y'all must bring a seller's registration card, or a seller's official affidavit of ownership issued past their Land Jurisdiction.
  • Your PA commuter's license or PA ID card.
  • A Nib of Sale (notarized if in that location is no title present).

As a heir-apparent, you must present:

  • A valid PA driver's license (if yous practise non have one, then you lot must bring a PA ID carte).
  • If the seller is not nowadays, a boat title and/or seller'south registration card, or a seller's official affidavit of ownership issued past his or her state jurisdiction.

The Brass Tacks of PA Boat Titling and Registration

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

If you financed your boat with a bank loan, you will need to bring in the lender information to the agency in gild to have the required lienholder clause added. If yous are bringing in your gunkhole from out of land or purchasing an out-of-PA watercraft, you may want to call ahead so the agency tin can ascertain the policies of the outside state before preparing your registration.

When you leave the bureau, you lot will take a 60 day temporary registration while your title transfer will exist processed. Once the championship transfer finishes processing, you will receive your two-year registration and championship in the mail from PFBC.

Fees and Fines for Not Registering Your Boat Before Utilize

If you are stopped on public water in PA without a proper registration and title, you lot run the risk of receiving a penalty. In lighter cases, you might receive the minimum penalisation of $25, but in more severe cases you could face up a $250+ fine and fifty-fifty a small-scale amount of jail time.
Naturally, each violation and penalty will vary depending on the case. For a comprehensive list of the penalties and fees you could incur for gunkhole registration and titling violations, refer here. For specific inquiries almost boat registrations, title transfers and related documentation, feel costless to contact 309 Auto Tags.