Top What to Register

• All boats with a motor.

• Boats that are 19' 6" or longer.

• Personal watercraft, including Jet Skis.

Top Exemptions

• Boats currently registered in another state may be used for up to 60 days on the state's waterways.

Top Requirements and Procedures

In Person

1. Complete the registration application.
2. Bring your bill of sale*.
3. Don't forget proof that you paid your sales and use tax.
4. In addition, a registration fee will be assessed.
5. Take all the necessary paperwork to a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) branch office.

*Other documents may be required, depending on if you bought your boat from a dealer or an individual.

By Mail

Send the required documentation (listed above) and your registration fee to:

• Department of Motor Vehicles

• Marine Vessel Section

• 60 State St.

• Wethersfield, CT 06161

The DMV provides a FAQs page for registration issues.

Top Fees

Your registration fee is determined by the length, age, and construction material of your boat.

Top Renewals and Replacements

Renew in Person

Just go to a DMV branch office with your fee payment to renew your registration. However, you must do so within five days―before or after―of your expiration date.

Renew by Mail

Simply return the registration renewal form you received, in the renewal envelope provided, along with the registration fee.

Replace a Lost Registration

Receive a duplicate registration at a DMV branch office by showing your vessel registration number and paying the $20 fee.

You may also send a letter containing your name, address, signature, and vessel number to:

• Department of Motor Vehicles

• Marine Vessel Section

• 60 State St.

• Wethersfield, CT 06161

Be sure to include the $20 fee. Only checks and money orders (payable to the DMV) are accepted.

Top Boater License

Although Connecticut doesn't require a license for most boat operators, personal watercraft (such as Jet Skis) users need to have a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation issued by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Applicants must complete an approved safety course or pass an equivalency exam. Class times and fees vary; the DEP provides additional information on this licensing requirement.

Top Boater Safety Courses

Other than personal watercraft users, the state doesn't require boaters to complete safety classes.

However, several safety courses are offered by a variety of providers that increase safety awareness, and may even lower your vessel insurance rates.

Times and fees vary, depending on the class and provider.

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