Boat Donation — Maine - ME— Donate A Boat
Boat Registration and Title Information
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Maine - ME - boat registration and title information.
2. When will my registration expire?
3. How do I transfer the ownership of my watercraft?
1. General Title Information
All motorboats of any size, including airmobiles and personal watercraft, must be registered in Maine to be used on the waters of this State, except the following:
- Watercraft required to have a valid marine document as a watercraft of the United States. Vessels over 5 net ton used for commercial fishing must be documented. Call the U. S. Coast Guard in Boston, Massachusetts at (617) 223-3030 for further information on documentation of a boat;
- Watercraft with valid registration from another state, provided the watercraft registration number is displayed on the motorboat and the motorboat will not be in Maine over 60 consecutive days after the state of principal use has been changed;
- Military or public watercraft, except recreational type Watercraft of the United States;
- A motorboat owned by the United States, a state, or subdivision thereof, which is used for governmental purposes and clearly identifiable as such;
- A ship 's lifeboat;
- Motorboats from another country which are not within Maine over 60 consecutive days; and
- Motorboats used exclusively for racing purposes and displaying a valid boat number issued by a recognized racing association.
2. When will my registration expire?
Watercraft registrations will expire on the last day of the 12th month after the month of issuance. Example: A boat registered any time in June of 1995 will expire June 30, 1996. Once a registration period is established it does not change. If this same boat is not reregistered until September of 1996, the renewal expiration will still be June 30, 1997.
3. How do I transfer the ownership of my watercraft?
Upon the sale of a registered watercraft the person who is named on the registration as owner must remove and destroy the validation stickers on the watercraft and notify the Fish & Wildlife Department of the transfer of ownership within 10 days of the transaction. The validation sticker is not transferable to the new owner. The new owner must register the watercraft for the regular registration fee.
When a watercraft owner transfers ownership of a watercraft covered by a current registration and purchases a new watercraft, a transfer registration can be obtained for the new boat for a $2.00 fee. This registration will be valid for the remainder of the original registration period. The old registration must be turned in at the time of application for the $2.00 transfer registration.
4. What are the fees for registering my boat?
- New or Renewal Registration $4.00
- Duplicate Registration $1.00
- Duplicate Validation Sticker (set) $1.00
- Transfer Registration (See Transper of Ownership) $2.00
5. Where can I register my boat?
The Fish & Wildlife Office in Augusta is the central office for boat registrations and registration records. Many Maine municipal tax collectors or town clerks and a few businesses are Recreational Vehicle Registration Agents for the Fish & Wildlife Department. If you are registering a watercraft at the Augusta office or in a town other than your town of legal residence, you must first pay your excise tax in your town of residence. Be sure you have a receipt that shows the excise tax has been paid on your watercraft or your watercraft cannot be registered at another location.
