Alabama’s boat title requirements apply to any vessel whose construction was completed after December 31, 2023, and to any boat that becomes primarily used in Alabama on or after January 1, 2024. Titles are handled through your county probate office or licensing commissioner acting as a designated agent, the application is due within 20 days, and the total cost is $25. Smaller, low-powered watercraft and several other categories are excluded from the requirement entirely.
Which Boats Must Be Titled
The Uniform Certificate of Title for Vessels Act, in Code of Alabama Title 33, Chapter 5B, took effect January 1, 2024. Under the statute, a certificate of title is required for any vessel built after December 31, 2023, when Alabama is the state of principal use.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel It also applies if you move an older boat into the state and Alabama becomes its principal state of use on or after January 1, 2024.
The threshold that determines whether the law reaches your boat sits in the definition of “vessel” itself. Section 33-5B-2 excludes watercraft under 18 feet in length that are propelled solely by sail, paddle, oar, or an engine producing less than 75 horsepower.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 33-5B-2 – Definitions So a 16-foot fishing boat with a 50-horsepower outboard is not a “vessel” under this chapter and needs no title. A jet ski or a bass boat under 18 feet with a 75-horsepower or larger engine is a vessel and must be titled once the build-date or principal-use trigger applies.
Boats That Are Exempt
Several categories fall outside the titling requirement. Most flow from that same statutory definition.
- Watercraft under 18 feet propelled by sail, paddle, oar, or an engine under 75 horsepower. This covers most canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and small fishing boats.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 33-5B-2 – Definitions
- Watercraft owned by the United States, any state, a foreign government, or their political subdivisions.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 33-5B-2 – Definitions
- Watercraft used solely as a lifeboat on another vessel.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 33-5B-2 – Definitions
- Seaplanes and titled amphibious vehicles, which are handled under other laws.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 33-5B-2 – Definitions
- Amusement-ride watercraft operating on a fixed manufactured course under mechanical guidance.
- Stationary floating structures with no propulsion, continuous shore-based utility hookups, and a permanent sewage connection.
- Vessels carrying active U.S. Coast Guard documentation, since ownership is already recorded at the federal level.
- Out-of-state registered boats used in Alabama for up to 90 consecutive days.
- Boats built on or before December 31, 2023, for which Alabama was already the principal state of use before January 1, 2024.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel
Voluntary Titling for Larger Older Boats
If your vessel is 26 feet or longer and was built on or before December 31, 2023, you are not required to obtain a title but can apply for one voluntarily.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel A voluntary title creates a formal ownership record that makes selling the boat or pledging it as collateral simpler. The application process and fees match the mandatory route.
Documents You Need to Apply
The core requirement is proof that you own the vessel, and what qualifies depends on how you got it. A new boat calls for the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. A used boat needs the signed certificate of title from the previous owner or a bill of sale. If the vessel was previously Coast Guard documented, you’ll need a Coast Guard record showing that the documentation has ended and identifying you as the owner.3Alabama Department of Revenue. Vessel Titles
Every application must include the Hull Identification Number. A HIN is a 12-character alphanumeric code assigned by the manufacturer.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel If your boat lacks one, apply for a state-assigned HIN through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division before submitting the title application. You’ll also list the engine make, model, and serial number, along with your own name, address, and identification. Any lienholder must be listed too.
How to Apply, When, and What It Costs
Title applications go through a designated agent, typically your county probate office or licensing commissioner. Those agents submit your application and supporting documents electronically through the Alabama Department of Revenue’s online system.4Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.36 – Responsibilities of Designated Agents You cannot file directly with the state.
File within 20 days of either the ownership transfer date or the date Alabama becomes the vessel’s principal state of use, whichever is later.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel Missing that window doesn’t erase the requirement, but it can create trouble if you need to prove ownership for a sale or an insurance claim in the meantime.
The fee is $20 to the Department of Revenue plus a $5 agent fee at the counter, so expect $25 total.1Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-5-75-.01 – Procedures for Titling a Vessel
Replacing a Lost Title
If your certificate is lost or destroyed, apply for a duplicate through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on the “Application for Boat Registration, Transfer, Replacement and Duplicate” form.5Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). Application for Boat Registration, Transfer, Replacement and Duplicate Check the “Duplicate” option, fill in the full vessel description, sign, and include your driver’s license number. The duplicate fee is $5.
Titling Is Not Registration
A title records ownership. Registration is what allows the boat to operate on Alabama waters, must be renewed annually, and is handled separately. Coast Guard documented vessels are exempt from Alabama registration numbering on the bow but must still display the current-year decal on the forward half of both sides.6Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Alabama Admin Code 220-6-.03 – Placement of Vessel Identification Numbers Holding a title alone doesn’t put you in compliance to operate the boat.
Sales Tax at Purchase
Buying a boat in Alabama triggers state sales tax, and the rate depends on how the sale is structured. A boat sold by itself is taxed at 4% of the total selling price, and the same rate applies to a boat motor sold separately.7Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-6-2-.46.01 – Marine Dealers, Sales By
When a boat, motor, and trailer are sold together as a package that qualifies as an automotive vehicle, the rate drops to 2% and applies to the net after any trade-in. If a boat without a motor is sold with a trailer, the boat is taxed at 4% and the trailer at the lower automotive rate, but only when the invoice lists the prices separately. If they aren’t itemized, the entire amount is taxed at 4% with no trade-in deduction.7Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 810-6-2-.46.01 – Marine Dealers, Sales By Ask your dealer to break out the boat and trailer on the invoice.
What Happens If You Skip It
Operating an untitled vessel that should have been titled can lead to fines during Marine Patrol checks. The practical costs run deeper. Selling the boat becomes difficult without a clean ownership record because buyers and lenders will ask for one. Financing or using the vessel as collateral is not available without a title either. For $25, the risk of going without isn’t worth taking.