Compare registration fees, title costs, sales tax rates, and renewal periods across 50 US states. State pages include agency source links, data years, and source-status notes.
In the current 50-state dataset, listed registration totals range from $3 to $620 before local, county, tax, or file-specific charges. Cost depends on state, vessel length, registration period, title requirements, and whether a state adds aquatic invasive species or sticker charges.
These state fee answers match the cost and calculator searches already showing in Search Console. Use the calculator links for a state-preselected estimate.
California DMV separates the vessel fee from the Mussel Fee sticker: $29 original vessel fee, $20 biennial renewal, $15 transfer, and a separate $16 sticker for freshwater vessels unless exempt.
Maine IF&W lists inland-water motorboat registration by horsepower. Maine-registered boats include the Lake and River Protection sticker with the watercraft registration, while non-Maine boats use a separate sticker path.
Minnesota DNR lists watercraft fees by length class. The totals shown here combine the registration fee, Aquatic Invasive Species surcharge, and issuing fee for the 3-year registration cycle.
Tennessee TWRA lists 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year registration options by vessel length. The table below uses the 1-year totals stored in the current state data.
Listed totals range from $20 to $100, depending on the fee class and additional state charges shown in the state data.
Listed totals range from $66 to $296, depending on the fee class and additional state charges shown in the state data.
Listed totals range from $10 to $24, depending on the fee class and additional state charges shown in the state data.
Listed totals range from $60 to $180, depending on the fee class and additional state charges shown in the state data.
| State | Min Fee | Max Fee | Period | Title Required | Title Fee | Sales Tax | Online | Estimate | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL Alabama | $18.00 | $98.00 | 1 year (expires December 31) | Yes | $25.00 | 4% | Calculator | View | |
| AK Alaska | $24.00 | $10.00 | 3 years | No | $20.00 | None | Calculator | View | |
| AZ Arizona | $20.00 | $66.00 | 1 year | No | — | 5.6% | Calculator | View | |
| AR Arkansas | $7.50 | $105.00 | 3 years | No | — | 6.5% | — | Calculator | View |
| CA California | $29.00 | $15.00 | 2 years (biennial, renewed in odd-numbered years) | Yes | $9.00 | 7.25% | Calculator | View | |
| CO Colorado | $36.25 | $76.25 | 1 year (calendar year, January 1 to December 31) | Yes | $7.20 | 2.9% | Calculator | View | |
| CT Connecticut | $7.50 | $525.00 | 1 year (expires April 30 of the following year) | Yes | $25.00 | 6.35% | Calculator | View | |
| DE Delaware | $20.00 | $120.00 | 1 year or 3 years (owner's choice) | No | — | None | Calculator | View | |
| FL Florida | $5.50 | $189.75 | 1 or 2 years (owner's choice) | Yes | $5.25 | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| GA Georgia | $35.00 | $210.00 | 3 years | Yes | — | 4% | Calculator | View | |
| HI Hawaii | $20.00 | $35.00 | 1 year (annual renewal) | Yes | $20.00 | 4% | Calculator | View | |
| ID Idaho | $31.50 | $67.50 | 1 year (calendar year, expires December 31) | No | — | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| IL Illinois | $28.00 | $210.00 | 3 years | Yes | $15.00 | 6.25% | Calculator | View | |
| IN Indiana | $15.00 | $24.00 | 1 year (annual renewal) | Yes | $15.00 | 7% | Calculator | View | |
| IA Iowa | $28.15 | $155.65 | 3 years (current cycle through April 30, 2028) | Yes | $13.50 | 6% | — | Calculator | View |
| KS Kansas | $42.50 | $42.50 | 3 years | No | — | 6.5% | Calculator | View | |
| KY Kentucky | $22.20 | $68.71 | 1 year (March 1 through last day of February) | Yes | $9.00 | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| LA Louisiana | $36.00 | $99.00 | 3 years | Yes | $26.00 | 4.45% | Calculator | View | |
| ME Maine | $40.00 | $59.00 | 1 year (calendar year, expires December 31) | No | — | 5.5% | Calculator | View | |
| MD Maryland | $70.00 | $12.00 | 2 years | Yes | $20.00 | 5% (cap $16,000) | Calculator | View | |
| MA Massachusetts | $44.00 | $110.00 | 2 years (biennial) | No | — | 6.25% | Calculator | View | |
| MI Michigan | $14.00 | $448.00 | 3 years | Yes | $5.00 | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| MN Minnesota | $36.00 | $209.00 | 3 calendar years | Yes | $22.00 | 6.875% | Calculator | View | |
| MS Mississippi | $10.99 | $48.49 | 3 years (from date of application) | No | $12.70 | None | Calculator | View | |
| MO Missouri | $25.00 | $150.00 | 3 years (triennial registration) | Yes | $7.50 | 4.225% | Calculator | View | |
| MT Montana | $65.50 | $295.50 | One-time registration (validation decals renewed every 3 years at no cost) | Yes | $12.00 | None | Calculator | View | |
| NE Nebraska | $29.00 | $109.00 | 3 years (expires December 31 of the third year) | Yes | $10.00 | 5.5% | Calculator | View | |
| NV Nevada | $20.00 | $100.00 | 1 year (expires December 31) | Yes | $20.00 | 8.375% | Calculator | View | |
| NH New Hampshire | $24.00 | $92.00 | 1 year (expires December 31) | No | — | None | Calculator | View | |
| NJ New Jersey | $19.00 | $115.00 | 2 years | Yes | $60.00 | 6.625% | Calculator | View | |
| NM New Mexico | $60.00 | $180.00 | 3 years (expires December 31 of the third year) | Yes | $10.00 | None | Calculator | View | |
| NY New York | $22.50 | $75.00 | 3 years | Yes | $50.00 | 8% | Calculator | View | |
| NC North Carolina | $34.00 | $154.00 | 1 or 3 years (owner's choice) | Yes | $30.00 | 3% (cap $1,500) | Calculator | View | |
| ND North Dakota | $30.00 | $60.00 | 3 years (current cycle: 2026–2028) | No | — | 5% | Calculator | View | |
| OH Ohio | $33.00 | $93.00 | 3 years (expires March 1) | Yes | $15.00 | 5.75% | Calculator | View | |
| OK Oklahoma | $52.25 | $151.00 | 1 year or 3 years (owner's choice) | Yes | $2.25 | None | Calculator | View | |
| OR Oregon | $95.20 | $178.50 | 2 years (biennial calendar basis, expires December 31) | Yes | $75.00 | None | Calculator | View | |
| PA Pennsylvania | $22.00 | $52.00 | 2 years (biennial, expires March 31 of even-numbered years) | Yes | $15.00 | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| RI Rhode Island | $32.00 | $620.00 | 2 years (biennial, March 1 to last day of February) | Yes | — | 7% | Calculator | View | |
| SC South Carolina | $20.00 | $20.00 | 1 year (included with county property tax) | Yes | $20.00 | 5% (cap $500) | Calculator | View | |
| SD South Dakota | $18.00 | $62.00 | 1 year (annual renewal) | Yes | $10.00 | None | Calculator | View | |
| TN Tennessee | $15.86 | $62.22 | 1, 2, or 3 years (owner's choice at time of registration) | Yes | $14.50 | 7% | Calculator | View | |
| TX Texas | $32.00 | $150.00 | 2 years | Yes | $27.00 | 6.25% (cap $18,750) | Calculator | View | |
| UT Utah | $20.00 | $40.00 | 1 year (annual renewal) | Yes | $6.00 | 6.85% | Calculator | View | |
| VT Vermont | $31.00 | $153.00 | 1 year or 2 years (owner's choice) | No | — | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| VA Virginia | $32.00 | $50.00 | 3 years (triennial registration) | Yes | $10.00 | 2% | Calculator | View | |
| WA Washington | $10.50 | $10.50 | 1 year (annual renewal) | Yes | $5.00 | 6.5% | Calculator | View | |
| WV West Virginia | $30.00 | $75.00 | 3 years (expires March 31) | Yes | $15.00 | 6% | Calculator | View | |
| WI Wisconsin | $22.00 | $100.00 | 3 years | Yes | $5.00 | 5% | Calculator | View | |
| WY Wyoming | $30.00 | $80.00 | 1 year or 3 years (owner's choice) | Yes | $15.00 | 4% | Calculator | View |
12 states do not require boat titles, using registration as proof of ownership:
States offer different registration periods, affecting the annualized cost:
Florida has the lowest starting registration fee at $5.50. However, total costs depend on vessel length, title requirements, and sales tax.
Oregon has the highest starting registration fee at $95.20 for the smallest class. Actual costs for larger vessels can be significantly higher.
No. 12 states do not require boat titles: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont. In these states, registration and a bill of sale serve as proof of ownership.
Alaska, Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota have no sales tax on boat purchases.
It varies by state. Some states require annual renewal (Florida, Alabama, Washington, Arizona, Colorado), while others offer 2-year (Texas, California, Maryland) or 3-year (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio) registration periods.
Get detailed registration steps, required documents, and agency source links for your state.
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