California DMV Boat Registration: Fees, Decals, and Renewal

To register a boat in California, you file an Application for Vessel Certificate of Number (form BOAT 101) with the DMV, provide proof of ownership, and pay the registration fee, any use tax owed on the purchase, and a mussel fee if you’ll use the boat in freshwater. Every motorized vessel and every sailboat longer than eight feet must be registered before it operates on state waters, and the DMV issues a “CF” number and validation decals once your paperwork clears.

Which Boats Have to Be Registered

California Vehicle Code Section 9850 requires every undocumented vessel using state waters to carry a current registration number. “Undocumented” means the boat does not hold a federal Certificate of Documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard, and most recreational boats fit that description.1California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code – Division 3.5 Registration and Transfer of Vessels You need to register:

  • Any motorized boat, regardless of size
  • Any sailboat longer than eight feet, with or without a motor

Kayaks, canoes, and other vessels propelled solely by oars or paddles are exempt, as are sailboats eight feet or shorter without a motor, windsurfing boards, ship’s lifeboats, and vessels owned by the federal government or another state. A boat carrying a valid registration from another state can operate in California for up to 90 consecutive days before California registration is required, provided that state remains its principal place of use.2California DMV. Vessels Not Required to Be Registered

Documents You Need

The core form is the BOAT 101, which collects the vessel’s manufacturer, model year, length, propulsion type, and the location where you primarily operate it.3California DMV. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – Original Vessel Registrations Proof of ownership goes with it, and the right document depends on how you acquired the boat:

  • New from a dealer: the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, signed over to you.
  • Used, previously titled: the California Certificate of Ownership endorsed by the seller, or an out-of-state title, which you surrender to the DMV.
  • Private sale: a Bill of Sale (REG 135) identifying the vessel, the sale price, and both parties. Any written bill of sale that accurately establishes ownership is acceptable and does not need to be notarized.4California DMV. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – Bill of Sale
  • No bill of sale: a Statement of Facts (REG 256) declaring how you acquired the vessel, the price, and the date.5California DMV. Boat/Vessel Registration

You’ll also need the Hull Identification Number, stamped into the transom and recorded on the BOAT 101. Homemade fiberglass vessels 15 feet or longer must have the HIN inspected by a licensed vessel verifier or peace officer before registration can proceed, and out-of-state boats coming into California may also need physical HIN verification.6California DMV. Hull Identification Numbers (HIN)

How to Submit and When It’s Due

You have three ways to file: a DMV field office in person, a licensed third-party registration service that can often process everything on the spot, or mail to DMV headquarters in Sacramento. Mailed packets should contain the completed BOAT 101, your proof of ownership, and a check or money order covering all fees and taxes.

If you’ve just moved to California or bought a boat from an out-of-state seller, you have 120 days from the date the vessel enters the state to finish registering. Miss that window and penalties apply.7California DMV. Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual – Nonresident Vessels After processing, the DMV typically issues a temporary Certificate of Number so you can operate legally while your permanent documents and decals are prepared.

Registration Fees

The base application fee under Vehicle Code Section 9853 is $9. On top of that, you pay a period fee tied to when you register:

  • Register in an even-numbered year: an additional $10 for a one-year period (total $19 in statutory fees).
  • Register in an odd-numbered year: an additional $20 for a two-year period (total $29 in statutory fees).8California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code Section 9853

If the boat will touch freshwater at any point, add the $16 Quagga and Zebra Mussel Infestation Prevention Fee, which expires alongside your registration. Boats used exclusively in saltwater are exempt.9California Department of Motor Vehicles. Mussel Fee Sticker Request

Use Tax on the Purchase

Separate from registration fees, California collects use tax on the purchase price of your boat whenever sales tax wasn’t already paid to a California dealer. The statewide base rate is 7.25 percent, and your local district may push it higher.10California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rate Information The tax applies to out-of-state purchases, private-party sales, and online buys. It’s due at registration, and delay is costly: the CDTFA charges a 10 percent penalty on any use tax not paid within the time required by law.11California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Regulation 1703

Some transfers don’t trigger use tax. Genuine gifts are exempt; write “gift” on the back of the title and file a REG 256 stating no money changed hands. Sales between spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, or siblings are exempt with a REG 256 documenting the relationship. Boats received through a will or trust are exempt, supported by an Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate (REG 5) or a REG 256 from a surviving co-owner. Transfers under a divorce decree or quiet-title judgment are also exempt. In each case, you still register normally but skip the use tax payment at the window.12California DMV. Transactions Not Subject to Use Tax

Displaying the CF Number and Decals

Once registered, you receive a California “CF” number and a pair of validation decals. Under California Code of Regulations Title 13, Section 190.00, the CF number must be painted on or permanently attached to both sides of the forward half of the vessel, using:

No other letters, numbers, or graphics may sit near the CF number in a way that could interfere with identification. The validation decals go on both sides of the hull, three inches behind and in line with the registration number.14California State Parks. ABCs of California Boating – Registration Operating without a properly displayed and current CF number is a citable violation.

Renewing Every Two Years

California vessel registration expires on December 31 of every odd-numbered year. The biennial renewal fee is $20, and the DMV mails renewal notices before expiration. The $16 mussel fee, if it applies, renews on the same cycle.15California DMV. Renewals

Late renewals carry a 50 percent penalty on the renewal fee. Separate flat penalties apply to other late transactions: $8 for a late transfer, and $10 or $15 for a late original registration depending on the year the vessel was sold.16California DMV. Vessel Registration Fees and Use Tax The mussel fee itself has no separate late penalty.

You Also Need a California Boater Card

Registration puts the boat on the water; the California Boater Card lets you drive it. As of January 1, 2025, every person operating a motorized vessel on California waterways must carry one, regardless of age.17California State Parks. Boating Safety and Education for All The card is issued after you pass an approved boating safety course and exam, and it’s valid for life.

Operating a motorized vessel without one is an infraction: fines run up to $100 for a first offense, up to $250 for a second, and up to $500 for a third or subsequent conviction.18California Boater Card. FAQs The card is tied to the operator, not the boat, so every person who takes the helm needs their own.

What About Federally Documented Boats

If your vessel is documented with the U.S. Coast Guard, it carries a federal documentation number instead of a state CF number and doesn’t need California state numbering. Federal documentation is available for vessels measuring five net tons or more, with an initial certificate fee of $133 and recreational renewals ranging from $26 for one year to $130 for five years.19United States Coast Guard. Fee Schedule (NVDCINST 16713) Federal documentation doesn’t exempt you from California use tax on the purchase price if sales tax wasn’t already collected, and you still need a California Boater Card to operate.