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Boat bill of sale

Boats are the category people most often get wrong, because a boat is not a car: it has a hull number instead of a VIN, no odometer, and a trailer that is usually titled separately.

Create a boat bill of sale — free

First deal free. Both parties sign from their own phones.

What this form records

Hull Identification Number (HIN) as the identifier, year, make and model, the specs that matter for this category, the price and date, an as-is clause, and both signatures — produced as a formatted legal PDF and emailed to both parties.

What a boat bill of sale must include

  • Both parties' full legal names and addresses.
  • The Hull Identification Number (HIN) — twelve characters, moulded into the transom on the starboard side. This is the boat's permanent identifier and the equivalent of a VIN.
  • Year, make and model of the vessel.
  • Length, which is what most state registration fees and rules key off.
  • Engine details — outboard, inboard, sterndrive or none — plus the engine serial number if it is a separate outboard, and hours if you have them.
  • The USCG documentation number, if the vessel is federally documented rather than state registered.
  • Whether a trailer is included, and its own VIN or serial number if so.
  • Sale price, date, an as-is clause, and both signatures.

The trailer is a separate vehicle

This is the single most common mistake in a private boat sale. In most states the trailer has its own title and its own registration, entirely separate from the boat. Selling "the boat and trailer" on one line, with one identifier, leaves the buyer unable to register the trailer.

Record the trailer's own VIN or serial number explicitly. Our form asks for it as soon as you say a trailer is included, and it appears on the finished document.

No odometer disclosure — and why that matters

The federal odometer disclosure rule (49 U.S.C. § 32705) applies to highway motor vehicles. A boat is not one, so there is no odometer statement on a vessel bill of sale, and our form does not ask for one.

Engine hours are the closest equivalent and are worth recording, but they are a description of condition rather than a federally regulated disclosure.

Titling and registration differ sharply by state

Vessels are the category where state practice varies most. Some states issue titles for boats above a length or horsepower threshold; some only register them; some do both; and federally documented vessels follow a different route again through the U.S. Coast Guard.

We are not going to guess at your state's rule. Find your state's agency and ask whether the vessel is titled or only registered, whether the trailer is titled separately, and what they need to see at transfer.

Common questions

Where is the HIN on a boat?

Moulded or plated into the starboard side of the transom, near the top. Boats built since 1972 carry a twelve-character HIN. Many also have a duplicate hidden somewhere on the hull. Check that the HIN on the boat matches the one on the title or registration before you pay.

Do I need a bill of sale to register a boat?

Often yes, and it is usually easier to have one than to find out you needed it. Requirements are set by each state's boating or motor vehicle agency, so confirm with them directly.

Does the boat trailer need its own bill of sale?

Recording the trailer's VIN or serial on the same bill of sale is normally enough to evidence the transfer, but the trailer is titled and registered separately in most states. If you prefer a clean separation, create a second bill of sale for the trailer.

What about a federally documented vessel?

Vessels documented with the U.S. Coast Guard transfer through the National Vessel Documentation Center rather than a state title. A bill of sale is still the underlying evidence of the sale, and the USCG has its own required forms.

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Selling something else?

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General information, not legal advice. Paperwork Max is not a law firm. Titling and registration requirements differ by state and change over time — confirm with your state's agency before you sign.