Boat Registration and Licenses in Mississippi

Boat Registration and Licenses in Mississippi

If you want to operate a boat in MS, you may need to register it with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP).

Keep scrolling to find all the information you need about registering your vessel AND the state's minimum requirements for boating on Mississippi waters.

MS Vessels Requiring Registration

In Mississippi, ALL motorized vessels AND ALL sailboats must be registered with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The only exceptions are boats documented with the U.S. Coast Guard.

If you're unsure whether your boat requires registration, contact the MDWFP for clarification.

MS Boat Registration Procedures

After buying a boat, you have 10 days from the purchase date to register the vessel in your name. Start the process by gathering the following items:

• A completed Mississippi Motor Boat Registration Application (REV 2016).
  • Detach the stub at the bottom of the application to use as temporary registration while you wait for your official registration and decals to arrive.
• Any of the following proof of purchase documents:
  • Sales receipt.
  • Bill of sale that's notarized OR signed by 2 witnesses.
  • Notarized explanation of how you came to own the vessel (e.g. the boat was transferred into your name by a deceased relative).
• If you bought the boat out-of-state, proof of Mississippi sales tax paid.
• Payment for the applicable vessel registration fees.

Then, submit the items above in person OR by mail to:

• Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
• Boating Division
• 1505 Eastover Drive
• Jackson, MS 39211

Boat registrations with the MDWFP are valid for 3 years from the last day of the month in which you registered your boat.

Boat Registration Fees in Mississippi

The MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks charges the following fees for boat registrations:

• Original/renewal boat registration (based on the length of your boat):
  • Less than 16 ft in length: $10.20.
  • Between 16 ft up to 26 ft in length: $25.20.
  • Between 26 ft up to 40 ft in length: $47.70.
  • 40 ft in length and over: $47.70.
• Duplicate boat registration certificate: $7.70.
• Mississippi sales tax: 7% of the sale price.

Boat Registration Renewals & Replacements

The MDWFP will mail you a registration renewal notice before your vessel's registration expires. You can renew you Mississippi boat registration by providing information about your vessel AND the necessary renewal fees:

• Online using the MDWFP's registration renewal portal.
• By calling (601) 432-2055.
• By mail to the address listed on your renewal notice.
  

Replace a Lost Registration

If your MS boat registration is lost or destroyed you can request a duplicate from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks:

• By calling (601) 432-2055.
• By mailing a completed Mississippi Motor Boat Registration Application (REV 2016) AND the appropriate duplicate registration fees to:
  • Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
  • Boating Division
  • 1505 Eastover Drive
  • Jackson, MS 39211.

Mississippi Boater Requirements

If you were born after June 30, 1980, you must complete a boating safety course.

Additionally, all individuals less than 12 years old must be supervised by a person who is at least 21 years old while to operating a boat on Mississippi waters.

You can fulfill the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks' education requirement:

• Online with an approved boating education provider, listed on the MDWFP's boater education page.
• In the classroom—for the schedule of classes, contact the MDWFP by calling (601)-432-2180.