It depends.
In the US, there's a difference between title and
registration, although the terms are interchanged a lot. But essentially one (which I will call title and titling) legally determines and establishes who is the owner of a boat. The other (which I will call
registration and registering) is required by many states to keep and operate a boat within that state.
So, for titling, which is what you really care about
:
In the US, your
legal ownership can be established by one of two methods:
1. USCG
Documentation
or
2. A State Title
Both are 100% valid and
legal.
You have to determine which of these applies in your situation. Just asking the owner will work: "Is the boat Coast Guard Documented, or do you have a State title?"
If CG Documented, then you can check with the CG.
If State titled, you can ask for them to
email you a copy/scan of the title - most state titles will actually print any liens directly on the title, and/or you can contact the State agency that issues boat titles in that state (a lot of states do this through the state DMV (department of
motor vehicles), others have a separate agency for boats, and even others coordinate it on the state level, but it's the county governments that actually issue the titles).
You should generally be aware that it's entirely possible (and legal, and not uncommon) to have a boat titled in one state, and registered in another - so don't think something is amiss if the boat is located and registered in say,
Maryland, but titled in Delaware. It can also be Documented ("titled") with the USCG and registered in, say,
Florida.
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