Does a Buyer Have to Register a Purchased Vessel in North Carolina?
It is required to register a vessel that you are going to use in North Carolina. Registration and titling in this state are conducted by The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NC WRC).
You will have to submit different documents for registration, which depends on the vessel’s condition (new or old), the availability of its previous registration and title, and other factors. Please note that any 14-foot in length or greater vessel and personal watercraft must be titled.
Is a Bill of Sale a Necessary Document for Registration?
The boat bill of sale is required in some cases. If it is a new vessel, you can provide the original MSO that contains HIN to prove the transfer of ownership. However, you can use a dealer’s bill of sale for this purpose as well.
You will need to have a bill of sale in the following cases:
- If you purchase a used non-titled boat from an individual
- If you purchase a used non-titled boat from a dealer
If you buy a used titled vessel from an individual, you are not required to provide any bill of sale. In this case, you will need to have the original North Carolina title that contains the seller’s signature. This document must be notarized. Other documents that you will have to provide also depend on different factors.
Where Can the Seller or Buyer Get a Bill of Sale?
On the Internet, you can find various templates of a bill of sale available in a printable PDF format. However, if you want to register a boat in North Carolina, you should use a free template of the document provided by NC WRC. It contains all the necessary fields that must be filled out. The document must be notarized to be legal.