Boat Donation — Montana - MT — Donate A Boat
Boat Registration and Title Information
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Montana - MT - boat registration and title information.
1. What boats need to be registered in Montana?
3. How do I transfer ownership of my boat?
4. How do I put on my registration decals?
1. What boats need to be registered in Montana?
Sailboats 12 feet long and longer and all motorboats and personal watercraft must be registered and numbered. Non-motorized sailboats less than 12 feet long and manually propelled boats, regardless of length, are exempt from registration and taxation.
Also exempt are a vessel 's lifeboat, government- owned boats, and properly registered boats from out of state or country which will not be in Montana for more than 90 consecutive days.
Out-of-state boats used in Montana for more than 90 consecutive days must be registered at the county treasurer 's office in the county where the boat will be principally used.
2. How do I register my boat?
In Montana, boat registration numbers and decals expire on December 31 of each year. Boat owners must annually obtain the necessary documentation and validation stickers prior to putting their boats in the water. A certificate of ownership (title) and certificate of number (which lists the boat 's registration, decal, hull and title numbers) must be obtained from, and all fees must be paid to, the county treasurer in the county where the owner resides. Owners receive two registration decals with the certificate of number.
3. How do I transfer ownership of my boat?
When ownership of a boat changes, the previous owner must sign the back of the certificate of ownership before a county treasurer, deputy county treasurer or notary public. Within 30 days, the new owner must apply for a change of certificate of ownership (title) and registration. When purchasing from a private individual, the boat must be registered before operating. When purchasing from a licensed dealer, the new owner has 30 days to make application for certificate of ownership, register the boat and obtain decals. If the boat is operated without proper numbers and license decals during that 30 days, a bill of sale (or other evidence of transfer which shows the date of transfer) must be on board.
A boat owner also must contact the county treasurer within a reasonable amount of time when there is a change of address or upon the sale, destruction, abandonment or theft of the boat.
All boats sold or manufactured in Montana must comply with all applicable equipment requirements.
4. How do I put on my registration decals?
The Certificate of Number must be carried on board the boat and be available for inspection whenever the boat is in operation.
The boat 's registration number must:
- be painted on or attached to each outboard side of the bow (forward half) of the vessel;
- read from left to right;
- be vertical block letters at least 3 inches in height;
- be a color contrasting with the background color of the boat;
- be as high above the water line as practical and still be visible;
- be maintained in a legible condition;
- contain a space or hyphen separating the "MT" from the number/letter suffix.
(Example: MT 123 ABC or MT - 123 - ABC)No other numbers or letters may be displayed on the bow of the boat.
Registration decals received with the Certificate of Number must be securely attached to each side of the bow of the boat. The decals must be spaced three inches aft (rearward) and directly in line with the boat number displayed on each side. Expired decals must be removed.
