Mississippi Boat Bill of Sale: Witnesses, Registration, and Fees

A Mississippi boat bill of sale is the written record that transfers a vessel from seller to buyer, and it is what the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) expects to see when the buyer applies to register the boat. The buyer has ten days from the purchase date to file that application, so the document needs to be complete, signed correctly, and in hand before you leave the sale.¹

What the Bill of Sale Must Contain

Mississippi does not publish a single mandatory form for private boat sales, but the document has to carry enough information to support the buyer’s registration application. Include the full legal names and addresses of buyer and seller, the total purchase price, and the date of the sale.²

Then the vessel itself. Record the Hull Identification Number (HIN), the make, the model year if you know it, and the overall length. HINs on boats built after November 1972 are twelve characters and are stamped into the starboard side of the transom.³ If the boat has an outboard motor, list that motor’s serial number separately. The registration application asks for the serial numbers of the boat, the outboard motor, and the trailer.¹

A few more details will save a second trip to the boat. Note the hull material (aluminum, fiberglass, wood), the propulsion type (outboard, inboard), and the fuel type (gas, diesel). All of these show up on the MDWFP application, and copying them from the bill of sale is faster than climbing back under the hull.¹

Notary or Two Witnesses

Mississippi accepts the bill of sale in one of two forms: notarized, or signed by both parties in front of two witnesses. Either satisfies MDWFP.³ A notary is the safer choice if there is any chance the sale could be disputed later, because the notary verifies each signer’s ID and applies an official seal. If no notary is available at the sale, two adult witnesses watching both signatures will keep the document valid.

Skip both and MDWFP will reject the bill of sale when you try to register the boat. This is the step buyers most often overlook.

Registering the Boat Within Ten Days

Every motorized vessel and every sailboat used on Mississippi waters has to be registered with MDWFP. That includes boats powered by trolling motors or jet drives, not only conventional outboards. Operating an unregistered motorized vessel is illegal.³

The buyer has ten days from the purchase date to apply.¹ Gather everything before closing so the window doesn’t run out:

The completed MDWFP registration application.
The witnessed or notarized bill of sale.
A tax receipt, or proof that no tax was owed. The application requires a receipt showing whether sales or use tax was paid at purchase.¹
The registration fee, based on the boat’s length.

MDWFP estimates about four weeks to process an application once it arrives. When approved, the department mails a registration card with the assigned number and two decals.³

Registration Fees by Length

The current MDWFP fee schedule is tied to overall length:³

Less than 16 feet: $10.99
16 feet but less than 26 feet: $25.99
26 feet but less than 40 feet: $48.49
40 feet and over: $48.49

Sales and Use Tax

Private boat sales between two individuals in Mississippi generally do not trigger sales tax. Mississippi excludes casual sales of personal property from its sales and use tax, and boats are not classified as motor vehicles for this purpose, so a person-to-person sale is typically tax-free.

Buying from an out-of-state dealer is different. Mississippi imposes a 7% use tax on boats purchased from dealers in other states and brought into Mississippi. The registration application asks directly whether sales or use tax was paid, and MDWFP will not issue a certificate of number on an out-of-state dealer purchase until the use tax has been paid.¹ Budget for it if you are shopping across state lines.

If the Boat Has No HIN

Boats built before November 1972 usually carry a manufacturer serial number rather than a modern twelve-character HIN, and some homemade vessels have no number at all. When the HIN is missing or looks wrong, MDWFP requires an in-person inspection before it will register the boat. You complete a Boat Inspection Form and contact the nearest MDWFP regional office or Jackson headquarters to schedule it.³ An officer verifies the boat’s details and assigns a HIN. Build that time into your ten-day window.

Coast Guard Documented Vessels

If the vessel is documented through the U.S. Coast Guard, ownership transfers on a different form. The Coast Guard requires its own bill of sale, Form CG-1340, notarized and filed with the National Vessel Documentation Center; an unfiled CG-1340 is invalid against anyone except the seller and people who already knew about the sale.⁴ The form calls for the vessel’s name, official number, the full interest being transferred, the consideration paid, and the signatures of all sellers. A documented vessel still has to be registered with MDWFP to operate on Mississippi waters.

Titling and the Trailer

Titling a boat in Mississippi is optional. A title creates an additional layer of ownership proof, simplifies future sales, and makes financing easier because lenders want a title to record a lien. Request one when you submit the registration application. If you are buying a boat that already has a Mississippi title, have the seller sign it over to you at closing; a signed title paired with the bill of sale is the strongest documentation you can carry.

The trailer is a separate matter. Trailers are handled by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, not MDWFP. Trailers over 5,000 pounds gross vehicle weight must be titled, and lighter trailers still need registration through your county tax collector’s office. List the trailer separately on the bill of sale, with its own VIN, make, and value, so you have clean paperwork for both pieces.

Keeping the Bill of Sale After Closing

Hold onto the notarized or witnessed bill of sale permanently, not just until the registration card comes in the mail. It is the only document that records the purchase price, which you may need later for insurance, resale, or a tax question. The seller should keep a copy as well, because it fixes the date the boat left their hands and shifts liability from that point forward. Mississippi law also requires boat owners to report changes in ownership within fifteen days, so the seller has reason to confirm the buyer actually filed the transfer.⁵

1
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 59-21-11 – Application for Certificate of Number
2
Mississippi Legislature. Mississippi HB 936 – Vessel Use Tax Provisions
3
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Boat Registration and Renewal
4
U.S. Coast Guard. CG-1340 Bill of Sale
5
Justia Law. Mississippi Code 59-21-17 – Contents of Certificate of Number