Is Boat Bill of Sale Obligatory in Florida?
All motorized vessels operating on public waterways within Florida must be properly titled and registered. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is responsible for issuing such registrations and titles. Applications for those procedures must be submitted to a license plate agent or a county tax collector within 30 days after making the deal. It is possible to replace or renew the registration of a vessel on flhsmv.gov.
How to Register a Boat in Florida?
When applying for a vessel title in this state, you will need to provide a Florida boat bill of sale in the following cases:
- You purchase a new vessel (bill of sale from an executed dealer)
- You have a vessel coming from a state that does not require a title (from a previous registrant)
You do not need to provide any bill of sale in the following cases:
- Used vessel titled in Florida
- Used vessel titled in a different state
Before you can register your vessel, collect the following documents along with the bill of sale:
- A contract from the builder
- A statement of origin from the manufacturer
- A federal marine document
If you do not have any federal marine document, you can provide its equivalents acceptable by the FLHSMV. If titling is required, this procedure must be undergone before the vessel’s registration.
Both titling and registration of your vessel require paying fees. They depend on different factors, such as your vessel’s length. Non-residents will also have to pay a $50 fee for a vessel license.
Where to Get a Free Template of the Document?
You can download the bill of sale form from flhsmv.gov. It is a free template suitable for the registration of all vessels within the state. All you need is just make sure to fill out all the fields required by FLHSM, such as:
- Type
- Name of the manufacturer
- Length
- Fuel
- Propulsion
- Use of vessel
- Year
- Hull material
- Hull identification number (HIN)