Florida registration

[svfinlandia]

I just read in Cruising World Magazine if your boat is in Florida it MUST have a Florida registration number even if it is Fed Documented or registered in another state. The story references a couple who brought their boat into Boot Key just as a stopover on their way to Virginia and was issued a $79.00 ticket for not having a Florida sticker. Since 09/20/2013 there have been 115 citations and 4,130 warnings for this "offence". It seems currently to only be enforced in the keys.
Anyone have any information on this?

Al, S/V Finlandia

[a64pilot]

Survey I just had on a boat last week stated that the boat had no Fl registration and CG documented vessels didn't need it? Did the law recently change?

[denverd0n]

No, the law has not recently changed. If your boat is not registered in some other state then the law requires you to register it as soon as you arrive in Florida. If it is registered in some other state then you have 90 days after arrival in Florida to register it.

Registration fees are very reasonable, generally being less than $200 per year for anything less than a megayacht.

Details can be found here...
http://www.flhsmv.gov/dmv/faqboat.html

[a64pilot]

Maybe I'm thinking display of registration mark as opposed to registration?

[Tripod]

You must display a current FL registration sticker if you've been in the state for more than 90 days. This is NOT new. Display of registration numbers is not required. If your vessel is more than 30 years old, annual registration can be as low as $5.75 - can't get much more reasonable than that.

[Hud3]

A64,

In the case you mentioned, you'd have to register the boat and put the registration sticker on it, but you would not apply the registration number decals to the bow of the boat. That's a no-no if the boat is federally documented.

[a64pilot]

Sticker at base of mast is fine, just don't want to have to put those silly letters/numbers on the bow like I do on my little boat

[svfinlandia]

I don't consider $200.00 reasonable. $5.75 I could live with, but if I am registered in another state I resent paying again just on principle!

[Richard_W]

Think of it as a use fee ... you do not have to use Florida waters for more than 90 days.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by svfinlandia

I don't consider $200.00 reasonable.

Did you follow the link? For a vessel your size, the most you would pay would be about $135 per year. And, of course, if you don't want to pay, then don't stay in Florida for more than 3 months. If you're hanging around here that long, I don't think it is unreasonable for you to pay your share for the maintenance of the state's waterways.

[BandB]

Florida isn't alone in this requirement....

North Carolina - If a vessel registered in another state is brought into North Carolina for over 90 consecutive days, the registration must be transferred to North Carolina.

All US Coast Guard Documented Vessels operating in North Carolina for over 90 consecutive days must be registered.

Washington-If you’ll be on Washington waters for more than 60 days, you must apply for a permit on or before the 60th day of your visit.

I would say it is confusing as we're such a large country made up of states and each state has different rules. I knew someone who ran into an issue on his auto. Similar situation and he was on a contract job in a state other than his home state. He was ticketed and did have to go to court, the judge then found him guilty but gave him no fine or points.

[Snore]

For those with boats over 30 years old, they can be registered as an antique for a pittance. I think it was $10-20 for two years...

[Neeltje]

Originally Posted by svfinlandia

I just read in Cruising World Magazine if your boat is in Florida it MUST have a Florida registration number even if it is Fed Documented or registered in another state. The story references a couple who brought their boat into Boot Key just as a stopover on their way to Virginia and was issued a $79.00 ticket for not having a Florida sticker. Since 09/20/2013 there have been 115 citations and 4,130 warnings for this "offence". It seems currently to only be enforced in the keys.
Anyone have any information on this?

Al, S/V Finlandia

If your boat is CG Documented, you DO NOT need to TITLE it in Florida, but you DO have to REGISTER it locally if you plan to leave it here for more than 90 days at a stretch.
When you register the boat with the County Tax Collector's Office (local DMV), you get a little STICKER (not a hull registration number) that you can put on any easily accessible window on the boat.
You do NOT need a hull registration number.
You do, however, still need to have the CG compliant BOAT NAME and HOME PORT permanently scribed or attached to the hull.

Jacques

[Nicholson58]

It used to be that on the Great Lakes, the city water cops & sheriff did not know anything about documented vessels. They always wanted to fine us for not having the State Numbers on the bow. We carried the Fed. statutes with us for years. Also in the old days, documentation was a way to avoid state sales taxes and annual state use fees & registration. I believe most states have 'corrected' these egregious errors. It is not likely you will legally avoid sales taxes or annual registration fees. Some of the states prorate sales taxes paid in other states or drop the charge if you owned the boat long enough in the foreign state. You will not long escape the registration and fee-paid water use tag. If Florida is that low, good deal. It costs us 550.00 in Michigan.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

It used to be that on the Great Lakes, the city water cops & sheriff did not know anything about documented vessels. They always wanted to fine us for not having the State Numbers on the bow. We carried the Fed. statutes with us for years. Also in the old days, documentation was a way to avoid state sales taxes and annual state use fees & registration. I believe most states have 'corrected' these egregious errors. It is not likely you will legally avoid sales taxes or annual registration fees. Some of the states prorate sales taxes paid in other states or drop the charge if you owned the boat long enough in the foreign state. You will not long escape the registration and fee-paid water use tag. If Florida is that low, good deal. It costs us 550.00 in Michigan.

Florida actually has another great advantage and that is there is no property tax on a boat. One of the few states like that.