Regulations
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Boat registration
Before you begin, make sure you have all the required documents for boat registration and titling. How to register your boat under 16 over 16 --> Step 1: Complete, accurate and signed application and forms If a boat registration is submitted…
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How to renew your boat registration
After you have titled and registered your boat for the first time, renewing your boat registration is a simple process, and can even be done completely online.
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General information on boat registration and titling
Registration required What is required to be registered in Wisconsin:
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US Coast Guard documented boats
Larger recreational boats owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) instead of being titled with the state. Please visit the United States Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center…
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Title states and territories
The following list will help you determine if your boat came from a state or territory requiring your boat to be titled.
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Boat was sold / boat was junked or abandoned
If you recently sold your boat or if your boat is destroyed, abandoned or “junked”, state law requires that boat owners notify the Department within 15 days of the occurrence. State statute 30.55(1)
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Wisconsin Boat Dealer
Wisconsin dealers who acquire a new or used boat and hold it for resale are not required to send a certificate of title or application for certificate of title to the department [s. 30.541(1) Wis. Stats.] Wisconsin dealers must apply for a…
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What you should know before you operate your boat
You may operate your boat when you receive your certificate of registration and have current decals. Any temporary operating receipt you received at time of application is valid for only 60 days.
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What you should know before you buy
Before you buy Buyer's checklist [PDF] Owning a boat provides a great opportunity for you to explore the Wisconsin outdoors.
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Boat registration and titling
“Boat” or “vessel” means every description of watercraft (i.e. motorboat, sailboat, jet ski, pontoon, canoe, kayak etc.) used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, except a seaplane on the water and a fishing raft.