Boat Registration

Maine's a big boating state―not only does it offer all those hundreds of miles of coastline, but also inland lakes, ponds, and rivers. If you live or play regularly in Maine, you very likely know someone who owns a boat. Like motor vehicles, boats have to be registered. Instead of the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, boat registrations are handled by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

In many ways, registering a boat in Maine is similar to registering a car. You need to have a title and bill of sale, pay your sales and excise tax, and then put a decal on the vehicle―in this case, a boat. But you don't always need to visit your municipal offices in this case, and you don't need license plates.

Boats That Need to Be Registered

Basically, if you own a boat that has a motor of any type, it needs to be registered. It's easier to say what types of boats don't need to be registered than what types do. Your boat must be registered unless it meets any of the following qualifications:

• It's been registered by the federal government.

• It's already registered in another state and will not be in Maine for more than 60 days.

• It's a military or publicly owned boat or watercraft.

• It's owned by a federal, state, or municipal authority and used for government purposes.

• It's a lifeboat.

• It's registered in another country and will not be in Maine for more than 60 days (important for those far-north ports near Canada).

• It's used exclusively for racing and is registered with a racing association.

How to Register

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in Augusta is the central office for boat registrations and registration records. Many Maine municipal tax collectors or town clerks, and some businesses, are registration and licensing agents for the Fisheries and Wildlife department.

If you are registering a boat at the Augusta office or in a town other than your own, remember to first pay your excise tax in the town where you live. Be sure you have a receipt that shows the excise tax has been paid, or your vessel cannot be registered at another location.

Registration Fees and Taxes

Boat registration fees charged by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are based on the vessel's horsepower:

• 0-10 horsepower: $10

• 11-50 horsepower: $15

• 51-115 horsepower: $21

• Over 115 horsepower: $29

• Personal watercraft: $29

• Duplicate boat registration: $1

• Duplicate boat registration and sticker: $2

• Temporary transfer: $4

Along with a registration fee, you will also be required to show proof that you paid your excise tax to your hometown. If it's a new boat, you will also be required to show payment of 6% sales tax to the state. You can also register as a nonresident of Maine, in which case you'll pay the town where the boat is kept most of the time.

All boats and watercraft located in Maine are subject to annual excise tax, except the following:

• A lifeboat or raft.

• A dealer demo or dealer stock.

• A commercial vessel that is not based in Maine.

• A noncommercial boat based in Maine less than 75 days during the year. This refers to the number of days physically present in the state, not the number of days it was used.

• A vessel 20 feet or less with no motor, like a rowboat or dinghy.

Lake and River Prevention Stickers

All motorized boats used on inland waters―lakes, rivers and ponds, not the ocean―must display a Lake and River Protection Sticker. These stickers cost $10 for boats registered in Maine and $20 for boats registered outside of Maine, and they're good for one year. The stickers fund a program to prevent infestation and control invasive aquatic plants.

Renewing Boat Registrations

Maine boat registrations must be renewed annually. All registrations expire on December 31st of every calendar year, regardless of which month you originally registered your vessel.

Lost or Stolen Boat Registrations

If you lose your Maine boat registration, you can get a new one for $1, or $2 if you need a new registration sticker as well. You can obtain the replacements from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or any registered agent.

Displaying Your Registration

Any motorboat in Maine waters―inland or ocean―must have the registration certificate on the boat and available for inspection. The one exception is boats under 26 feet that are leased or rented commercially, such as kayaks. Registrations for those boats can stay on shore with the owner.

The registration number and validation stickers must be legibly displayed on each side of the bow of the boat:

• Painted or permanently attached to the bow in a contrasting color to provide high visibility.

• The number must read from left to right, be at least three inches high, and be vertical block-character capital letters and Arabic numerals.

Changing Ownership

If you sell a boat or personal watercraft in Maine, you must remove and destroy the validation stickers and notify the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 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 boat for the regular registration fees.

If you sell a boat that's covered by a current registration and purchase a new boat, a transfer registration can be obtained for the new boat for a $4 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 transfer registration.