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Boat Donation — New Hampshire - NH — Donate A Boat
Boat Registration and Title Information

Help a child with a boat, sail boat, trailer, yacht, watercraft, jet ski or wave runner donation to charity. Yacht salvage and personal watercraft salvage information.

 

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New Hampshire - NH - boat registration and title information.

 

1. What boats must be registered?

2. What are the exceptions for registering my vessel?

3. How do I display my registration decals?

4. More information about vessel registration.

 

 

 

 

1. What boats must be registered?

A registration is required on all boats with motors of any type. Sailboats 12 feet in length, rowboats and canoes powered by sail, oars, or paddles, or other human power are exempt.

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2. What are the exceptions for registering my vessel?

  • Sailboats and sailboards under 12 feet in length
  • Other small, non-motorized vessels such as canoes and kayaks
  • Vessels registered in other states using New Hampshire waters for 30 or fewer consecutive days
  • Vessels owned or operated by the U.S. government.

 

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3. How do I display my registration decals?

The registration number and validation decals must be displayed as follows:

  • Number must be painted, applied as a decal or otherwise affixed to both sides of the forward half of the vessel such that it is clearly readable.
  • Number shall read from left to right on both sides of the vessel.
  • Number must be in at least 3-inch-high, BLOCK letters.
  • Number’s color must contrast with the hull background.
  • Letters must be separated from the numbers by a hyphen or a space; for example: “NH-3717-ZW” or “NH 3717 ZW”.
  • Decals must be placed on both sides of the bow within 6 inches of and to the right of the number.

Sailboats that are 12 feet or longer but less than 20 feet in length need to display only the validation decal (not the number) within 2 feet of the stem.

If your vessel requires registration, it is illegal to operate or allow others to operate your vessel unless it is registered and numbered as described above.

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4. More information about vessel registration.

  • The Certificate of Registration expires on December 31 of each year. Owners of previously registered vessels will be sent a renewal notice.
  • The owner of a numbered vessel must notify the Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles, within 15 days if he or she changes address, or if the vessel is lost, stolen and/or recovered, destroyed, abandoned or sold.
  • If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Registration or decals, you must apply for a duplicate and submit a processing fee.
  • Vessels registered in another state or country may temporarily use New Hampshire waters for not more than 30 consecutive days.
  • Larger recreational vessels, owned by U. S. citizens, may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U. S. Coast Guard. Call the USCG’s Documentation Center at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. Documented vessels must also obtain a New Hampshire registration and carry the Certificate of Registration onboard; however, these vessels are not required to display their registration number, but must display the validation decal within 2 feet of the stem. These vessels must have the vessel name and hailing port clearly visible on the sides of the hull or on the transom.