How to Sell a Boat: Title, Registration, and Bill of Sale by State

Selling a used boat privately is mostly paperwork, and boat paperwork follows different rules than cars. Some states title boats, some only register them, and the trailer and motor can each be a separate transaction. This guide walks you through every document you need, plus a 50-state plus DC table of notary and title rules.

Before you list: gather your paperwork

Buyers move faster, and pay closer to asking, when you can hand over a clean stack of documents on day one. Pull these together before the boat ever goes up for sale.

• The boat title (if your state titled it) or the current registration card
• Your current, unexpired registration and any state decal numbers
• The Hull Identification Number (HIN), written down and verified against the title
• A lien payoff letter or lien release if there was ever a loan on the boat
• The manufacturer's statement of origin for newer boats that have never been titled
• The outboard or sterndrive motor's paperwork, including its serial number
• The trailer title and registration, if the trailer is part of the deal

Missing documents are the single most common reason a boat sale stalls. Track down anything missing now, while you have time, rather than after a buyer is waiting with cash.

Title vs registration: why boats are not like cars

With cars, almost every state issues a title and that title is the proof of ownership. Boats are messier. Some states title boats, some only register them, and many title only above a length or horsepower threshold while registering everything below it.

That means the document you transfer depends on your state and your specific boat. If your state titled the boat, the buyer needs the signed title to register in their name, and the bill of sale supports it. If your state only registered the boat, the signed bill of sale plus the registration card usually carries the transfer. A small kayak or canoe may need nothing more than the registration sticker.

Because this is the most confusing part of any boat sale, it is worth reading our deeper explainer on boat title vs registration before you commit to a transfer method.

The bill of sale is the core document

Whether or not your state titles boats, the bill of sale is the document that proves the sale happened: who sold what, to whom, for how much, and on what date. It protects you against future claims and gives the buyer what they need at the registration counter.

A complete boat bill of sale should carry:

• Full legal names and addresses of both seller and buyer
• Boat make, model, year, length, and hull material
• The Hull Identification Number (HIN)
• Motor details (make, model, horsepower, serial number) if the motor is included
• Trailer details if the trailer is included in the sale
• The sale price and the date of sale
• Both signatures (notarized if your state requires it)
• As-is language stating the boat is sold in its current condition with no warranty

The as-is clause matters most. Without it, a buyer who finds a problem after the sale may argue you promised the boat was sound. Clear as-is language closes that door.

The Hull Identification Number (HIN)

The HIN is the boat's permanent identity, the equivalent of a VIN on a car. By federal law, boats manufactured after November 1972 carry a 12-character HIN. You will usually find it stamped or molded into the starboard (right) side of the transom, the flat surface across the back of the hull. Many boats carry a second hidden HIN somewhere on the hull as a tamper check.

A buyer (or their lender, or their insurer) will compare the HIN on the hull against the HIN on the title and registration. They should match exactly. A HIN that is missing, ground off, or that does not match the paperwork is a serious red flag and can stop a registration cold. Before you list, confirm your own HIN matches every document so a buyer never has a reason to walk.

Liens and payoff: clear them before you sell

If you ever financed the boat, a lender may still hold a lien against it, and that lien can block the buyer from registering. Before listing, confirm the loan is fully paid and ask your lender for a written lien release. If a balance remains, you have a payoff to clear.

Never sell a boat with an unpaid loan still attached and pretend it is clear. If the buyer registers and the lien surfaces, the deal can unravel and you can face a fraud claim. When a balance is still owed, the cleanest path is to pay it off before closing, or to handle the payoff at closing so the lender releases the lien as part of the same transaction. Hand the buyer the written lien release along with the title.

Selling a boat with a trailer and an outboard motor

A boat, its trailer, and its motor are often three separate titled items. In most states the trailer has its own title and registration under normal vehicle rules, and an outboard motor can also be separately titled depending on the state.

That means each piece may need its own bill of sale or its own title assignment. When you sell the package, do not bury the trailer and motor in a single line. List each item clearly, with the trailer's identifying number and the motor's serial number, so the buyer can register all three without a return trip. Our guide to selling a boat with a trailer covers the trailer side in detail.

Sales and use tax on a used boat

In most states the buyer, not the seller, pays use tax when they register the boat, and the state bases that tax on the sale price recorded on the bill of sale. As the private seller, you generally are not collecting tax at the sale itself.

This is exactly why an honest price matters. A lowballed price on the bill of sale to help a buyer dodge tax can backfire: many states cross-check the sale price against market value and reassess, and a falsified document can expose both parties. Record the true price, keep your copy, and let the buyer settle their own tax at the registration counter. Rules and rates vary widely by state, so the buyer should check their own state's boating agency for the exact amount.

Notarization and witnesses by state

Notary rules for boat sales are not uniform. Most states accept a plain signed bill of sale, but a couple require notarization, and a few request witnesses. In our state requirements data, Louisiana and West Virginia are the two states that require the boat bill of sale itself to be notarized.

Even where notarization is not required, it is a low-cost insurance policy. A notarized signature is far harder for a buyer to dispute later, and some lenders insist on it before they finance a used boat. The table below shows, state by state, whether a notary is required, how many witnesses are expected, the title transfer window, and which agency actually handles boat titling and registration. You can also run a quick check with our Notarization Checker.

Boat sale requirements by state

Use this table to see, at a glance, what your state expects for a boat sale. Click your state to open its boat bill of sale page with the full field list.

Federal documentation for larger vessels

Bigger boats can live outside the state titling system entirely. A vessel of 5 net tons or more (roughly 26 feet and up for typical recreational boats) can be documented with the U.S. Coast Guard instead of, or alongside, a state title. Documented vessels carry a federal documentation number rather than a state-issued title.

When you sell a documented vessel, you do not assign a state title. Instead, the boat transfers with a bill of sale and the Coast Guard documentation paperwork submitted through the National Vessel Documentation Center, and the buyer applies for new documentation in their name. Many states still require a registration decal even on a documented vessel, so the buyer handles that separately. If your boat has a documentation number rather than a state title, plan the transfer around the federal process.

Step by step: completing the sale

1. Agree on a price. Settle the final number, including whether the trailer and motor are part of the deal.
2. Verify the HIN and lien status. Match the HIN across the hull, title, and registration, and confirm there is no open lien.
3. Complete and sign the bill of sale. Both parties fill in their details, the boat and motor details, the price, and the date, then sign (notarized if your state requires it).
4. Assign the title or registration. Sign over the title if your state titles boats, or hand over the signed registration card if it does not.
5. Hand over keys and paperwork. Give the buyer the keys, the title or registration, any lien release, the motor and trailer documents, and their copy of the bill of sale.

After the sale: protect yourself from liability

The sale is not really finished until the boat is out of your name in the state's records. Notify your state boating agency or DMV that you sold the boat, then cancel or transfer your registration. Until the state shows the new owner, you can be held responsible for accidents, unpaid fees, or an abandoned boat someone else now controls.

Keep your signed copy of the bill of sale, with the date, price, and the buyer's name and address, as your proof of the transfer. If a question ever comes up, that document is your defense. If you are on the buying side of a deal like this, our companion guide on buying a used boat from a private seller walks through the same transaction from the buyer's point of view.

Related guides

• Boat title vs registration: what you actually need
• Buying a used boat from a private seller
• Selling a boat with a trailer
• How to sell a car privately