Boat Title??? Trailer License???

[GBPackerNut]

Here is a question, just sold my old boat, I do not have a title or anything for it. When I bought it 9 years ago, I paid cash, and then went over and bought a sticker for it and put the letters on.

What do I need to do for the guy who bought it from me? Do I just make a general bill of sale on a piece of paper saying he bought it from me?

Do bigger boats have a title per say? like a car? if not how do you register or license it?

I live in North Dakota if that helps, I know laws are different form state to state.

What about trailer licensing? my old boat was small enough that I was told the trailer didn't need to be licensed, because in North Dakota it was considered a "utility trailer" does that still follow?

Thanks

[jwmiller33]

i jus bought a 16 ft Lund in January (in MN) and the boat did not have a title, but the trailer did. The trailer needed to be switched to my name just as a car would.

To get the boat switched in the name of the new owner, you need to sign and give them the registration card (the thing that comes with your license decals that you put on the side of your boat with your numbers). At least thats how it works in MN. Might be different in ND.

Hope that shines a little light on your question

[GBPackerNut]

Thanks, I did some reading on the North Dakota HSOforum, and it looks like boat trailers are excluded so I don't have to license it. And for 5 bucks a year I can get an identification plate, its pretty much a plate just so you wont get harassed in other states where they require boat trailers to be licensed.

[DavidCarvajal]

Hey here in Iowa you have to take the title for the boat {you get one from the county gov. office DMV/County auditor} they make sure there is no lien on it. If it comes clean you get a fancy title paper and on back of it you see an area where you can see the seller and buyers information. There you sign it and take it to the gov office. As far as the trailer goes the boat salesman at the marina told me to tell them at the DMV that the trailer was home built {welded} and to give you title and plates for the length of the trailer. They will ask a few obvious questions just answer them {just stick to the home built story}.By the way have you ever seen any trailer without a license plate? No, you got to have some license plate so the cops will leave you be.

[fasternu]

By the way have you ever seen any trailer without a license plate?

Here in Minnesota all trailers are without plates.

[GBPackerNut]

Same here, in North Dakota, plates are not needed for exempt trailers.

Boat trailers fall in the exempt category unless the vessel is used for commercial purposes