Boat titles and registration after you buy

A title proves who owns the boat. A registration lets you use it on public water and comes with the numbers and decals on the bow.

Most states issue both, but the rules vary: some title only boats over a certain length or with a motor, and a few don't title boats at all and rely on registration. Check your own state's rules before you bid, not after.

Boats built since late 1972 carry a 12-character hull identification number, usually on the upper right (starboard) side of the transom. It's the boat's equivalent of a car's VIN. Your state will want it on the paperwork, so check it's readable and matches the documents.

Each listing says what title comes with the boat. The $499 document processing & boat transfer fee covers title verification, invoicing and the transfer paperwork. Once you've paid, you receive the paperwork the listing describes and register the boat in your own state.

The details vary, but you'll usually need:

• The title signed over to you, or a bill of sale, as your state requires
• Photo ID
• Your state's application form and fee
• Sales or use tax, which many states collect when you register, based on the price you paid
• In some states, an inspection of the HIN for a boat coming from another state

The office is usually the DMV, the Department of Natural Resources, or the fish and wildlife agency. Search for "[your state] boat registration" to find the right one.

Some listings say no title is available. In a state that doesn't title boats, a bill of sale and registration may be all you need. In a state that does, you may need extra steps, such as a bill of sale plus an inspection, a bonded title or a court order.

Before you bid on a boat without a title, call your state's boat registration office, tell them what the listing says, and ask what they'll need.

Many states title or register boat trailers separately from the boat. If a trailer comes with the boat, check what paperwork your state needs for it too.

Some larger boats are documented with the U.S. Coast Guard instead of, or as well as, being titled by a state. Transferring a documented boat goes through the Coast Guard's National Vessel Documentation Center.