A Maine boat bill of sale is the written record of a private watercraft sale that the buyer takes to the town clerk to register the boat and pay tax. Maine doesn’t title boats the way it titles cars, so this document is your main proof of ownership and the basis the clerk uses to calculate what you owe. Get the fields right and registration is a single visit; leave gaps and you’ll be sent home to fix it.
Why the Document Carries So Much Weight Here
Maine uses a certificate of number system rather than issuing titles for boats. Under Title 12, Section 13056, every motorboat owner must obtain a certificate of number from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife before operating on state waters, and when ownership changes the old certificate becomes invalid.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12-13056 – Certificate of Number, Identification Numbers and Validation Stickers The new owner has to apply for a fresh one, and the municipal clerk needs written proof of the purchase and price to do it. Dealers supply their own paperwork. In a private sale, the bill of sale fills that role.
Non-motorized boats such as canoes and sailboats without motors don’t require registration, though they can be registered voluntarily.
What the Bill of Sale Must Contain
Maine doesn’t publish a single mandatory form, but town offices consistently expect the same core fields. At a minimum, include:
- Full names and addresses of buyer and seller
- Year, make, overall length, and motor horsepower
- Hull Identification Number (HIN) or serial number
- Maine registration number, if the boat was previously registered here
- Purchase price
- Date of sale
- Signatures of both parties
The Town of Gray, for example, specifies that a bill of sale must include the seller’s name and address, the buyer’s name and address, the serial number, a description covering length, motor size, and year, and the purchase price.2Town of Gray, ME. Boat Registrations Any written document that covers these fields works. Some clerks have blank forms on hand.
Verify the Hull Identification Number Before You Sign
The HIN is a 12-character code stamped into the transom or hull. The first three characters are a manufacturer code assigned by the U.S. Coast Guard, followed by a five-character serial number, then characters showing the month and year of certification and the model year. Physically read the HIN off the boat and match it to what the seller has written down. A number that looks altered, doesn’t match, or is missing entirely is a reason to pause the deal.
Liens and As-Is Language
If the seller still owes money on the boat, that lien follows the vessel, not the person. Ask for language in the bill of sale where the seller warrants clear title and that the boat is free of liens and encumbrances. If the seller can’t say that honestly, get written proof the lender has released the lien before any money changes hands.
Most private boat sales close as-is, meaning the buyer accepts the vessel in its current condition with no promise of repairs afterward. An explicit as-is clause protects the seller from later claims about defects. For the buyer, that raises the value of a pre-purchase inspection. On higher-value boats, a certified marine surveyor can find structural, engine, or safety problems that change the price or the decision. Many marine insurers and lenders require a survey anyway.
The Price on the Document Drives the Tax
Maine charges 5.5% sales tax on boat purchases. Dealers collect it at the point of sale. In a private sale, the buyer pays the 5.5% to the municipal clerk during registration, calculated on the purchase price listed on the bill of sale.3Town of Rockport, Maine. Boat Registration – Town Clerk/Tax Collector Buying a boat out of state and bringing it into Maine triggers use tax at the same 5.5% rate, and Maine specifically lists boats among the casual-sale items that trigger use tax.4Maine Revenue Services. What Is Use Tax
Because the purchase price on the bill of sale is the tax basis, it needs to reflect what actually changed hands. Understating the price to shave the tax invites scrutiny from Maine Revenue Services.
Watercraft Excise Tax
On top of sales tax, Maine imposes an annual excise tax based on the boat’s overall length, and it must be paid before the state will issue a certificate of number.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12-13056 – Certificate of Number, Identification Numbers and Validation Stickers The statutory schedule starts at $6 for boats under 13 feet (and for all canoes and dories regardless of length) and climbs from there. A few anchor points: $11 at 16 feet, $22 at 20 feet, $61 at 25 feet, $96 at 30 feet, $177 at 40 feet, and $318 at 50 feet. The schedule continues up to 65 feet and beyond.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 36-1504 – Excise Tax Non-residents who keep their boat in Maine fewer than 75 days are exempt.6Maine.gov. Boat Registration Renewal Online Service
Taking the Bill of Sale to the Clerk
Bring the signed bill of sale and a valid driver’s license to your local town or city clerk.7Brunswick, ME. Watercraft, Snowmobile and ATV Registration The clerk processes the excise tax, the 5.5% sales tax (on a private sale), and the state registration fee in one visit.
Registration fees depend on motor horsepower and whether the boat will be used on inland or tidal waters. Inland fees run from $41 for 0–10 horsepower up to $60 for 116+ horsepower and personal watercraft; tidal fees run from $16 to $35 across the same brackets. Each fee includes a $1 agent fee.8Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Fishing and Boating You’ll leave with a certificate of number and validation stickers that go on each side of the bow. Registrations run January 1 through December 31, so a mid-year purchase still expires at year’s end.6Maine.gov. Boat Registration Renewal Online Service
Lake and River Protection Sticker
Any motorized watercraft on Maine inland waters also needs a Lake and River Protection sticker, sometimes called the milfoil sticker. It must be permanently affixed to each side of the bow, about three inches behind the validation sticker and above the waterline.9Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 12-13058 – Lake and River Protection Sticker Required For Maine-registered boats, the $25 sticker is bundled into the fees at your municipal office. Boats not registered in Maine but used on inland waters pay $59. The sticker is annual and nontransferable between boats.10Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Lake and River Protection Sticker
What the Seller Has to Do After the Sale
Within 10 days of transferring any interest in the boat, the seller must notify the commissioner in writing that ownership has changed.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12-13056 – Certificate of Number, Identification Numbers and Validation Stickers The seller should also remove and destroy the validation stickers from the hull. Skipping that step leaves the old registration visibly tied to the seller if the buyer operates the boat illegally or has an accident before re-registering.
Both sides should keep signed copies. The buyer needs the original for registration; the seller’s copy is proof the boat left their hands on a specific date.
Larger Vessels: A Federal Layer
Boats measuring five net tons or more (roughly 27 feet and up, depending on design) sit in a different lane. Vessels of that size in coastwise trade or commercial fishing on U.S. waters must carry Coast Guard documentation. Recreational boats over five net tons are exempt from the mandate but can opt into federal documentation voluntarily.11United States Coast Guard. Documentation and Tonnage of Smaller Commercial Vessels
If you’re buying a federally documented vessel, the bill of sale alone isn’t enough. Request an Abstract of Title from the National Vessel Documentation Center to verify the ownership chain and check for recorded liens or mortgages.12United States Coast Guard. National Vessel Documentation Center A documented vessel with Maine as its state of principal use still needs state registration but is exempt from the state certificate of number requirement since it already carries a valid federal marine document.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12-13056 – Certificate of Number, Identification Numbers and Validation Stickers
If the Seller Made Money on the Boat
Selling a boat for more than you paid produces a taxable capital gain. The IRS treats boats as capital assets, and gains on personal-use property are reported on Form 8949 and Schedule D.13Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 409, Capital Gains and Losses Boats held longer than a year qualify for long-term capital gains rates, which for 2026 range from 0% to 20% depending on taxable income. Boats held a year or less are taxed as ordinary income.
Most private sellers actually sell for less than they paid, because boats depreciate quickly. That loss is not deductible; the IRS does not allow deductions on personal-use property losses.13Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 409, Capital Gains and Losses Either way, keep your original purchase records with the bill of sale so you can calculate the gain or loss accurately.