Used Boat, Titled Or Untitled?

[H20MOFO]

If A Guy Is Picking Up A Used Boat How Do You Know If It's A Titled Or Untitled Water Craft? Is It Boats Over A Certain Size? Made After A Certain Year? The Couple Of Boats I've Owned Were All Untitled.

[jetboatperformance]

Kreg you can "petition" dmv in California for a few bucks and they can tell you if its clear .We check all hull and trailer titles prior to purchase to avoid getting stuck with back license fees. Also very important to know if the boat your buying (in cali) has unpaid personal property (luxury) taxes attached to it I bought a cheap Sanger flat on a weekend a couple years the had almost 800 bucks in back fees against it I was able to make a "deal" with that county to bargain it down a little Tom

[DelawareDave]

States on the list require a title. Others not listed require reg certificate to transfer ownership.
http://www.easternmarine.com/em%5Fshowroom/licenses/title_states.html

[GAWnCA]

States on the list require a title. Others not listed require reg certificate to transfer ownership.
http://www.easternmarine.com/em%5Fshowroom/licenses/title_states.html
Thanks for the site Dave! I think there are some states that even require a separate registration for out board motors.

[H20MOFO]

Thanks Guys. I Didn't Check The List Yet To See If Utah Is On It. Tom What #'s Should I Get? The Vin I Guess. Does The Calif Dmv Acually Answer The Phone Or Is There A Web Site. If Utah Is Not On That List Do I Have No Worries Either Way?

[earlbrown]

I'm glad we don't have any of that in GA. All I had to do was get a form from Wal*Mart and mail in $36 for a 3 year sticker.

[DelawareDave]

Thanks Guys. I Didn't Check The List Yet To See If Utah Is On It. Tom What #'s Should I Get? The Vin I Guess. Does The Calif Dmv Acually Answer The Phone Or Is There A Web Site. If Utah Is Not On That List Do I Have No Worries Either Way?
Utah is a title state. You should get a title from the seller.
Delaware is a reg state. When you sell, you give the reg and a bill of sale to the purchaser.

[H20MOFO]

Thanks All. When I Registered My Tahiti. I Stated Some Concern That My Vin (hull)# Was A Number Off. And She Said Oh It Doesn't Matter This Is An Untitled Watercraft (or Boat?).

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Utah is a title state. You should get a title from the seller.
Delaware is a reg state. When you sell, you give the reg and a bill of sale to the purchaser.
If the boat HAS a title, you really should pass that to the new owner, needed or not. Who knows where the boat will go next?

[Jetaholic]

By "titled" I think you mean "documented" and "undocumented" correct?
My understanding is that any boat with a CF ( or whatever state you happen to live in) number is an undocumented vessel.
"Documented" vessels are boats that are built for going into international waters if I remember correctly.

[DelawareDave]

Titled means you have a document that says you own the vehicle. You put it away so you don't lose it. Banks may hold it when you finance, and give it back when you pay off the ride. I believe in Ca they call them pink slips, but I could be wrong. If vehicle (car, motorcycle, or boat, etc), it must be provided for new owner to register vehicle in their name.
Reg is the registration certificate that shows CF (CAL) numbers or the registration numbers you get when you pay annual fees, and usually is carried with you all the time.
My state, for example, has titles for cars and trailers. You still get reg when you buy license plates, etc, but you give title to buyer when you sell, as proof you own it, and turn in reg/plate. Boat only has reg, so you give reg and bill of sale to buyer so new owner can reg boat in their name.
Documented vessels are usually commercial, but some ppl use this for whatever reason I am not aware of.
All states require some kind of proof that you purchased from legitimate owner. Title from title state, or reg from reg state.

[DelawareDave]

If the boat HAS a title, you really should pass that to the new owner, needed or not. Who knows where the boat will go next?
Should? If buyer has half a brain, he would not pay, or buy without receiving the title. It is a legal document that says seller has right to sell, and there are no encumberances on the vehicle/vessel.
Buying any car, MC, boat, trailer, etc without proper documentation is a good way to take it up the azz, as I'm sure quite a few ppl have discovered the hard way.

[H20MOFO]

I Have Owned 2 Boats. And Have Never Had Or Needed A Pink Slip(title) For Either And Havn't Needed One. In The Same Breath I Am Concerned. I'm Calling Him Today To See If I Can Close The Deal I Guess I'll Ask Him And Only Be Concerned If He Says There Is No Title.

[ck7684]

If I remember correctly, here in MN anything over 16ft needs a title...16 and less doesnt need one...

[DelawareDave]

I Have Owned 2 Boats. And Have Never Had Or Needed A Pink Slip(title) For Either And Havn't Needed One. In The Same Breath I Am Concerned. I'm Calling Him Today To See If I Can Close The Deal I Guess I'll Ask Him And Only Be Concerned If He Says There Is No Title.
How do you put the boats in your name, or don't you? Do you operate your boats without any kind of legitimate paperwork? Do you resell with no proof of ownership? If the LEO pulls you over, how do you prove you own the vessel? If you don't get any state recognized paperwork from the seller, how do you know that person is legally entitled to sell you the vessel? What if it was stolen, and he gives you a story, "oh I can't find the paperwork", and you operate the vessel, after you put a bunch of money into it for a new motor, interior, etc, with no paperwork, and you get stopped? LEO says it's stolen, and everything you have invested is out the window, and if you are lucky, you walk away. Screwed, blued, and tatooed, and very pissed off!
Now- bottom line: if the boat is from Utah, and it is or was last registered in Utah, after 1984, then you best get a title for it. Otherwise you may end up SOL. Make sure it is notarized, if not on the title, then on a bill of sale that matches the name/s on the title.

[H20MOFO]

I Guess I Can Stop Worring He Says He Has A Title. The Last 2 Boats I Registered With The Bill Of Sale. And The Owners Old Registration With It. Like I Said When I Brought Up The Concern About My Vin# Being A Diget Off From The Registration,the Gal At The Dmv Said I't Doesn't Matter This Is An Untitled Watercraft. I Don't Know. Btw The Boat Is In California.

[DelawareDave]

Kool. Good deal. I know from personal experience :mad: that it can be a real pain in the azz when people don't do the proper paperwork. My current boat had a trail from 3 "owners" ago. No one ever put the boat in their name, and sold it to the next person. I tracked down the last titled owner, and that person was a bit of a psycho. Screamed and yelled on the phone, and basically refused to notarize the title. Person who bought from them (4 years ago) didn't bother to get paperwork done right, and just sold to the next one, who re-sold, still not dealing with it, either. I played hell getting it all fixed. But now it is all in my name, and at least the next owner will get proper documents. I will never buy another boat/trailer without current paperwork. Every boat I have sold has had proper documents, even if I just went and did the paperwork, and turned around and sold it the next day.

[THE BOSTON SIDEWINDER]

The chart says in Masachusetts you don't need a title under 14 ft. My neighbor didn't have a title on a 13 footer and couldn't register the boat (it had an 18 hp outboard) or the trailer. Catch 22. My neighbor ended up selling the boat/trailer/engine back to the scum bag that said he had a title, for 50 cents on the dollar ( I would have sued his ass) after getting the run around and the B.S. stories all last season. Get the title , look at it, and make sure it's legit before the money leaves your hand in this state!!