USCG registration and/or NM title?

[CMO Tashina]

Hello sailors. Have just bought a Morgan Out Island 28 which is USCG registered and docked in Florida. Seller says there is no state title and that USCG registration serves as title, but that I should get the boat registered or licensed in NM where I live. Problem is that NM motor vehicle wants to see the boat in order to title or register and I have no intentions of ever sailing it here, although I intend to put Santa Fe, NM on the boat's transom as the hailing port (along with its new name on its sides). Is there a need to have a state title at all when the boat already has USCG registration? I apologize if this is an old and answered question and I did not do an adequate search of earlier threads.

[Sailmonkey]

The USCG paperwork is called documentation.

If you keep the boat in Florida, they’ll want it state registered in Florida. Some states will accept one or the other, others want both

[denverd0n]

If the boat is USCG documented then Florida will not require you to get a state-issued title. They will, however, still require that you register the boat with the state (you do not display state registration numbers). The registration fee will be less than $200 per year.

When you convert the USCG documentation into your name, you can pick any place you want as your hailing port -- it doesn't matter if the boat has never been there, nor will ever be there.

[Stargazerroatan]

Hailing Port does matter. Choose it carefully. USCG doesn't care, States DO.
California uses that data to justify persistent attempts to collect sales tax and probably property tax.
Other states may also.

After Years of sending and faxing marina invoices, to prove the vessel was never near CA with no success.
I completed USCG re registering with different hailing port. And appealed CA ruling on the basis of making a mistake. Making an error (mistake) is one of the listed reasons to make an appeal.

Beware. Hailing Port is an important choice consider it carefully.

[denverd0n]

California is the only state that I have ever heard of that tries to go after you for taxes just because you use one of their cities as a hailing port. Even if I lived in California, and kept the boat full-time in California, I don't think I would use a California hailing port!

Other than that, though, hailing port is just a place. It does not have to have anything to do with where you live or where the boat is. Legally speaking (in other words, California's unfounded harassment aside), it has no bearing on taxes, registration fees, or anything else.

[Group9]

A recap. Just for clarification.

Coast Guard documentation is TITLE. It's against the law for a state or owner to TITLE a USCG documented boat in a state, but states can require REGISTRATION for tax or other purposes.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Stargazerroatan

Hailing Port does matter. Choose it carefully. USCG doesn't care, States DO.

California uses that data to justify persistent attempts to collect sales tax and probably property tax.

Other states may also.



After Years of sending and faxing marina invoices, to prove the vessel was never near CA with no success.

I completed USCG re registering with different hailing port. And appealed CA ruling on the basis of making a mistake. Making an error (mistake) is one of the listed reasons to make an appeal.



Beware. Hailing Port is an important choice consider it carefully.

Ignore CA, if/when they file a lien against the USCG doc boat, there are several lawyers that will take he case pro-bono.

I would be surprised if CA would actually do more than send threatening letters.

[hellosailor]

I have seen federal statements referring to "registration", and what most of us call "documentation" is "federal title registration" to some of the folks who make the rules.

But in point of practice, and especially when dealing with folks from the rest of the world who can't grasp why there are sovereign states within one nation state (they never got the memo, we are in the Federal Republic of the United States of America, our second federal government)...it is way better to hold the firm line that there is STATE registration versus FEDERAL documentation. There is no one at the state or federal level who will have a problem or confusion of any sort, as long as you maintain the distinction.

I had a state motor vehicle person who insisted the (rather old) HIN was incorrect and they insisted on either a tracing or a photograph of the actual numbers to prove them. Hahah. Photoshop, problem solved. They would have been quite unhappy if we had brought the boat through what used to be the doors into their offices.

[CMO Tashina]

Thank you Sailmonkey. Did not know anyone had answered this post weeks ago as it did not come up on the daily message of posts answered. I appreciate your input.

[CMO Tashina]

Thank you for your response denverd0n. Had not realized others had responded to this email as I am new to using this wonderful site and had not seen my question or answer pop up on the daily forum posting that are sent to everyone.

[CMO Tashina]

Appreciate your clarification. Sorry did not realize folks had answered this question of mine as it does not pop up on the daily forum sent out to everyone.