Boat Bill of Sale

1. Copy the boat details from the registration or title. Year, make, model, length, hull material, the 12-character HIN and the state registration or Coast Guard documentation number.
2. Add the motor and the trailer if they go with the boat. Choose "Included in the sale" and enter the motor's make, horsepower and serial number and the trailer's VIN and plate. They print on the form only when included.
3. Print two copies and sign both. Seller and buyer each keep one. If your state wants a notarized bill of sale, turn on the notary block.

The hull identification number is the boat's 12-character serial number, required on boats built or imported for sale in the US since 1972. It is molded or stamped into the upper right corner of the transom (the flat back of the hull), and it is printed on the state registration and the title. The first three characters are the builder's code, then the hull serial, and the last four characters show when the boat was built and its model year. Compare the number on the hull with the paperwork before you pay - a missing or altered HIN is a red flag.

Most recreational boats are registered with the state - you will see the number painted on both sides of the bow - and in many states also titled. Larger vessels (5 net tons or more, usually about 25 feet and longer) can instead be documented with the US Coast Guard, which carries an official number instead of bow numbers. For a state-registered boat the buyer takes the bill of sale and the signed title to the state agency. For a documented vessel the transfer goes through the Coast Guard's National Vessel Documentation Center, which has its own bill of sale form - check its requirements before the sale.

In some states, yes. A boat trailer travels on public roads, so it usually has its own registration and plate, and in many states its own title. Some states also title or register outboard motors over a certain horsepower separately from the hull. List the motor and the trailer on this bill of sale so the price covers them, and check your state's boating agency and DMV for any separate paperwork.

Usually not: in most states the signatures of the seller and the buyer are enough. Some agencies or buyers still want a notarized bill of sale, so check your state's rules before the sale. If you need one, choose "Add a notary block" and sign in front of the notary.

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