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WATERCRAFT TITLE INFORMATION

 

BUYING A BOAT OR MOTOR

  • A Certificate of Title is required on all boats 14 feet long or greater and all outboard motors 10 H.P. or greater.  
  • A canoe or kayak is not Titled.
  • Before purchasing a boat or motor be sure the seller has the Certificate of Title.  
  • The seller is also required to assign the Ohio Watercraft Registration card to you.  
  • No registration is required for outboard motors.

TRANSFER OF TITLE

  • Your titles will be issued to you by the Clerk of Courts in the County of your residence regardless of the location of the boat.

SELLING A BOAT OF MOTOR

  • Do not accept a Title from the seller until he has his signature notarized and your name is shown as the buyer.  
  • Do not execute the assignment on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title until a bonafide sale has been made.  Make certain that the buyer’s full name and address is inserted before you sign the assignment.  Initials are not acceptable.
  • You must have your signature notarized.
  • If you do not have a Title for your boat or motor and have owned the boat or motor prior to October 10, 1963, your Clerk of Courts may issue a Title to you based on your registration or sworn statement.

HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

  • Federal Boating Acts require all boats manufactured after November 1972, to show a Hull Identification Number (serial number) of not less than 12 characters.
  • If you have a 1973 or newer model boat, compare the Hull Identification Number with the number on  your Title.  If they differ, make a pencil tracing of the number and present tracing and Title to your Clerk of Courts Auto Title Department for Title correction.

SERIAL NUMBER

  • If there is no manufacturer’s serial number, or if the manufacturer’s serial number has been removed, a serial number must be affixed to the boat or motor before a Certificate of Title can be issued.
  • Application for a serial number is made to the Division of Watercraft.  Forms may be obtained at your County Clerk’s Auto Title Department.

DOCUMENTATION

  • Documented vessels are not titled in Ohio, but are registered by the U.S. Coast Guard.  To remove a boat from Documentation for titling purposes, contact the Title Department.

PERSONAL WATERCRAFT (Jet Skis, Wave Runners, Jet Boats)

  • Watercraft less than 14 feet with a permanently affixed motor of 10 HP or more will require a Title effective January 1, 2000.
  • If the watercraft was owned prior to January 1, 2000, no Title is required until it is sold, a lien recorded, or otherwise disposed.
Contact the Title Department for additional information.