Michigan Boat Registration Requirements and Fees: Titling and Renewal

Michigan boat registration is handled by the Secretary of State under Part 801 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. Fees are set for a three-year cycle and run from $5 for a nonmotorized canoe or kayak to $448 for a motorboat 50 feet or longer.¹ Every registered vessel must carry its certificate of number on board and display valid decals on each side of the forward half of the hull.²

Which Boats Have to Be Registered

Registration is required for all motorized watercraft, all sailboats, and any hand-powered vessel longer than 16 feet. Personal watercraft such as jet skis follow the motorboat rules based on their length.²

A number of vessels are exempt from registration fees, numbering, and decals:³

Hand-powered vessels 16 feet or shorter, as long as they are not rented out or used commercially.
Nonmotorized canoes and kayaks of any length, on the same condition.
Rafts, sailboards, surfboards, and swim floats, at any size.
United States government vessels used in public service for non-recreational purposes.
Vessels registered in another state and used only temporarily in Michigan.

Boats carrying a federal Certificate of Documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard occupy a middle ground. You still owe Michigan registration fees and must display a valid decal, but you do not have to display Michigan registration numbers on the hull.¹

What Registration Costs

Fees are set by statute and cover a three-year period, not a single year:¹

Nonmotorized canoes or kayaks: $5
Other nonpowered vessels: $9
Motorboats under 12 feet: $14
Motorboats 12 to under 16 feet: $17
Motorboats 16 to under 21 feet: $42
Motorboats 21 to under 28 feet: $115
Motorboats 28 to under 35 feet: $168
Motorboats 35 to under 42 feet: $244
Motorboats 42 to under 50 feet: $280
Motorboats 50 feet and over: $448
Pontoon vessels, any size: $23
Motorized canoes, any size: $14
Passenger-for-hire vessels: $45
15-day temporary permit: $10

State and local government agencies pay a reduced $3 fee for vessels used only for non-recreational, non-commercial purposes. If the same vessel is used recreationally or commercially, the standard schedule applies.¹

How to Register and Renew

A new registration begins with a watercraft registration application filed with the Secretary of State. You can file online, by mail, or in person at a branch office. Bring proof of ownership, such as a bill of sale or manufacturer’s certificate of origin, and sign the application or verify your identity electronically.¹

Once the application clears, you receive a certificate of number and registration decals. The certificate has to be on the boat any time it is in use, and the decals go on each side of the forward half of the hull so an officer can verify your status without stopping you.⁴

Renewal Timing

Decals are valid for three years, running from April 1 through March 31 of the third year. You can renew as early as January 1 of the expiration year. Online renewal requires your MC number, the last four digits of your hull identification number, and a payment method. Renewals can also be handled by mail or in person. The new decals must be displayed before the boat goes back out.⁴

Titling Is Separate

Registration and titling are two different obligations. A Michigan title is required for any watercraft 20 feet or longer and for any watercraft with a permanently affixed engine, regardless of length. Boats holding a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation do not need a state title.⁵

The title fee is $5, paid at a Secretary of State office with your identification and proof of ownership. When you buy from a dealer, the dealer usually files the combined title and registration application for you.¹

Buying or Selling a Boat

When ownership changes, the new owner has 15 days from the sale date to transfer the title and registration. That means filing a new watercraft registration application with the Secretary of State along with proof of the ownership change, such as a signed title or bill of sale. Miss the 15-day window and a $15 late fee applies.⁶

Keep copies of every transfer document. A clean paper trail protects the seller from liability for what happens with the boat afterward and protects the buyer’s ownership if a dispute arises.

Use Tax on the Purchase

Michigan charges a 6% use tax on watercraft purchases from private sellers, out-of-state retailers, and anyone who is not a licensed dealer. The Secretary of State collects the tax before the registration is transferred, so you cannot finish the paperwork without settling the tax.⁷

The most common exemption is a family transfer. No use tax is owed when a watercraft passes between a spouse, parent, child, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, grandparent, grandchild, legal ward, or certified legal guardian. Nonresidents who buy a boat and bring it into Michigan more than 90 days later owe nothing, and Michigan residents who buy out of state and wait more than 360 days before bringing the boat in are also exempt. Transfers made during business reorganizations where real ownership does not change are exempt as well.⁷

Hull Identification Numbers

Every registered Michigan vessel needs a hull identification number. Manufacturers assign a unique 12-digit HIN during production, but boats built before 1972 may not have one. If your boat lacks a manufacturer’s HIN, or the original has been removed or damaged beyond recognition, the Secretary of State will assign one when you apply with proof of ownership. You are then responsible for permanently affixing that number to the hull in the location and manner the Secretary of State specifies.⁸

This most often comes up with homemade boats, older vessels, and rebuilds. Sort out the HIN before you file, because a missing or unreadable one will hold up your registration.

Boating Safety Certificate

Registration alone does not put you on the water legally. Michigan ties the operator safety certificate to date of birth. Anyone born on or after July 1, 1996 must carry a valid boating safety certificate to operate a motorboat with more than 6 horsepower. Those born before that date do not need a certificate for a standard motorboat.⁹

Personal watercraft have a stricter cutoff. Operators born after December 31, 1978 need a certificate, and 14- and 15-year-olds may operate one only with a certificate and direct supervision.⁹ Certificates are earned through approved online courses such as Boat-Ed or iLearnToBoat, or through classroom courses offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and America’s Boating Club.¹⁰

What Happens If You Skip Registration

Operating an unregistered vessel or one with an expired decal is a state civil infraction with a maximum fine of $500.² It works like a traffic ticket: pay the fine, no criminal charge for the expired registration alone.

Other Part 801 violations can rise to misdemeanor level. Reckless operation, boating under the influence, and filing a false registration application fall into that category. Dealers who fail to submit required registration applications face up to 90 days of imprisonment or a $100 fine.¹¹¹

Conservation officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources patrol the state’s waters, inspect vessels, verify registration, and issue citations on the spot. A citation has to be cleared up before you operate the boat again.

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324 – Section 80124
2
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324 – Section 80122
3
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324 – Section 80123 Exemption
4
State of Michigan. Watercraft Decal
5
State of Michigan. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft
6
State of Michigan. Title Transfer and Vehicle Registration
7
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 205 – Section 93 Use Tax Act
8
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324 – Section 80308
9
Department of Natural Resources. Boat Operator Age Restrictions
10
State of Michigan. Boating Safety Certificate
11
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324 – Section 80171