Boat Registration

[Longhorn]

Looking at buying a used boat and was wanting to have the kinks worked out and everything ready to go before i hand over the cash. Does boats new and old have a title? I am looking at 98 and newer. OR do you just have to have a bill of sale? I am mostly looking in Tennessee but am also considering going out of state, would that affect anything on my part. I have an old boat and when I bought it i just had the previous owners reg. card and that worked. Will that work now. Thanks.

 

[TheMacDaddy]

Tennessee, they don't have title but a boaters card... I've always bought boats off of dealers and never have bought it off person... I can ask my friend, and I'm he can let me know...

 

[dlmille]

If I am correct boat in tn are not titled. All you need is a bill of sale and the current registration card. In South Carolina you will get a title for the boat and one for the motor.

 

[elwestb]

Nope! That was wrong! Most of the time the state will use the same old registration numbers and transfer them to you, but you need a bill of sale, pay the sells tax and re register under you name. If it's still in the previous owners name, they'll get you!

 

[TheMacDaddy]

I never got boat registration title from my dealer!!!!

 

[elwestb]

... but you sent off to the state for the registration and got your numbers didn't you? Tennessee doesn't require a license plate "tag" like Al. or Ga. and there isn't a title. Your numbers and card is the registration! But you still need a bill of sale and the state will charge you the sells tax. If all you have is a bill of sale, "that I bought this boat from this guy", your going to be in trouble!

 

[TheMacDaddy]

Dealer will give you a piece of paper that has the boats id number and how much you paid for it... You send that paper into the title and registration place... Dealers take care of the taxes for you....

 

[elwestb]

... but if you purchase from an individual? And that is what the guy was asking?!

 

[TheMacDaddy]

Exactly, and I personally don't know... 4 wheelers and cars, you just sign the title over to the other person.... That person will go to the registration place for that county and get the title transfered over...

 

[Gator]

I bought mine from an individual and the best I remember is that I took the "bill of sale" and his " registration card" to the courthouse and they took it from there.
I paid taxes based upon the amount on the bill of sale and everything was transfered into my name. I can't remember if the boat numbers changed or not. emoScratch emoAngler

 

[EricM]

The bill of sale with the price is all that was required for me to register the boat I just bought from an individual, but the owner's signature on the bill of sale had to be NOTORIZED for Tennessee to accept it. You will have to pay sales tax on it here.

 

[Longhorn]

Thanks Guys

 

[captain kirk]

I sold a boat last year and on the advice of the folks at the court house, I took the buyer with me and had it registered in his name. It seem that as the seller you are still responsible for anything that might happen with the boat until it has been put in the buyers's name. I know that this doesn't address the original question but it might prevent some headaches for the sellers.

 

[basser#9]

EricM - 1/24/2010 10:32 PM

The bill of sale with the price is all that was required for me to register the boat I just bought from an individual, but the owner's signature on the bill of sale had to be NOTORIZED for Tennessee to accept it. You will have to pay sales tax on it here.

 

[dlmille]

Yea that is correct I forgot about the state of tn wanting you to get the form notorized. Let me tell you what the state of sc did to me. I went to register my stratos boat that I purchased from a individual in tn had all the registration cards etc. They went back to the original purchase date and charged me late fee for not registering my boat as soon as I crossed the state line and nice $180.00 registration fee. Well the woman told me that if I buy a project boat and dont plan on putting it in the water for 2 years register it because I would be charged a late fee. That is what the State of South Carolina do. They also charge a property tax to renew boat registration. So the guys with the new boats that are high dollar pay a tax on the book value of the boat.

 

[oggism]

emoHijack emoSorry what happens if the Bill of Sale is not notorized as when I bought mine we didnt get the Bill of Sale notorized and going to register the boat and pay taxes in the next couple of weeks

 

[aus10sdad]

I bought a repo boat last summer and the registration process was pretty simple. Just took my paper work to the tag and title office on bonny oaks. They took my sales info charged sales tax then gave me a certificate to mail to nashville. I sent everything off got my registration card and hull id #'s. THEN I traded boats with a guy in GA got his registration card gave him mine deals done right. Nope I had to track this guy down to get a bill of sale for the trade "they give the forms out at the title office" In ga the registration card is supposedly all you need Tn is a diff story. He had already got rid of my boat without registering it in his name. I now have boat running around south ga in my name and there is nothing I can do about it. As for mine I still need the hull ID so I can complete the bill of sale to get my current boat registered to me. After that the process is just take to title office they approve it I send to Nashville get my card and hull ID and I am golden. Maybe this helps but cover all your bases all states are different. ALWAYS get a completed bill of sale when buying used....