Do Boats Have Titles in Arizona or Just Registration?

No. Boats do not have titles in Arizona. Instead of issuing certificates of title the way it does for cars, the state runs a registration-only system for motorized watercraft through the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). Your certificate of number, together with the department’s records, is the official proof that you own the boat.¹

What Proves You Own the Boat

Under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 5, Chapter 3, owners of motorized watercraft register with the AZGFD, and the department issues a certificate of number rather than a title. The certificate carries the registration number assigned to the vessel along with the owner’s name and address, and AZGFD keeps those records as public records.¹

Because there is no title document to sign over, ownership transfers work differently than they do for a vehicle. The seller endorses (assigns) the certificate of number to the buyer, and the department updates its records when the buyer files a new application. That two-step is what stands in for a title transfer in Arizona.

Which Boats the Rule Covers

Arizona’s numbering requirement applies only to motorized watercraft. Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, rowboats, and other human-powered craft aren’t covered by the statute at all, so there’s no title and no registration to worry about for them.²

A few motorized vessels are also exempt from Arizona numbering:

Boats already numbered under U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
Watercraft used solely as lifeboats.
U.S. government vessels, except recreational-type public boats.
Foreign watercraft temporarily using Arizona waters.

State and local government boats still have to be numbered, but no registration fee applies to them.²

If you’re bringing a boat in from another state, you can operate it on Arizona waterways for up to 90 days on your out-of-state number, provided it’s from a federally approved numbering system. Once that window closes, or once Arizona becomes your state of principal operation, you register with AZGFD.²³

How to Transfer Ownership Without a Title

Arizona law prohibits buying, selling, or otherwise transferring a motorized watercraft unless the current owner assigns the certificate of number.¹ In practice, that means the seller endorses the certificate over to you and gives you a bill of sale. The bill of sale should show:

The names and signatures of the buyer and seller.
The hull identification number.
The vessel’s length and manufacturer.
The purchase price.³

The buyer then has 15 days after the transfer to file a new registration application with the AZGFD. The department charges a $4 transfer fee to move the boat into your name.⁴ Missing the 15-day deadline doesn’t undo the sale, but it does leave you operating a boat that isn’t properly registered in your name, which is a citable problem on the water.

For a brand-new boat rather than a used one, evidence of ownership is a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin from the builder or dealer instead of an endorsed certificate.⁵

Financing a Boat When There’s No Title

The absence of a title creates a practical wrinkle when a lender is involved. In states that title boats, the lender records its lien directly on the title document, the same way a bank’s name shows on a car title until the loan is paid off. Arizona doesn’t offer that mechanism for watercraft.

Lenders instead protect their interest by filing a UCC-1 financing statement with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. A UCC-1 puts the public on notice that the lender has a security interest in the boat, and it lists the owner, the lender, and a description of the collateral. That is the standard approach under the Uniform Commercial Code for collateral that isn’t covered by a certificate-of-title system. When you finance the purchase, expect the lender to handle this filing at closing, though the fee may be passed along to you.

If you’re buying a used boat from a private seller, run a UCC search through the Arizona Secretary of State before you pay. An active UCC-1 filing against the vessel means a lender still has a claim, and that claim doesn’t clear just because the boat changed hands.

Operating on the Water After You Buy

Once the boat is registered in your name, the certificate of number (or a commission-approved proof of a valid certificate) has to be on board and available for inspection by law enforcement any time the vessel is in operation. Arizona also issues a 30-day temporary registration for situations like a recent purchase where you’re waiting on your permanent certificate to process, so you’re not stuck onshore during the paperwork gap.¹

The Trailer Is a Separate Question

Your boat’s AZGFD registration covers the vessel only. The trailer you tow it on is titled and registered separately through the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division. For a noncommercial trailer weighing 10,000 pounds or less, which covers most boat trailers, ADOT charges a one-time registration fee of $125.⁶ The AZGFD side of the process won’t prompt you about the trailer, so if you’re buying a boat-and-trailer package, plan for two separate filings with two separate agencies.

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 5-321 – Numbering; Registration Fees; Exemption From Taxation; Penalty; Procedures
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 5-322 – Motorized Watercraft to Be Numbered; Exceptions
3
Arizona Game & Fish Department. Boating Registration Frequently Asked Questions
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Legislature Chapter 237 – 502R – S Ver of HB2322
5
Arizona Game & Fish Department. Register Your Watercraft
6
Arizona Department of Transportation. Trailer Registration