Mississippi Motor Boat Registration Application: Filing, Fees, and Renewal

To register a boat in Mississippi, complete the Mississippi boat registration application from the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP), attach proof of ownership and sales tax, and submit the package online at boating.outdoors.ms, by mail to the Jackson headquarters, or in person at an MDWFP office. Registration covers three years, and you receive a certificate of number plus two validation decals once the application is approved.

Who Has to File This Application

Mississippi law requires registration for every sailboat and every undocumented vessel with any kind of propulsion machinery attached, even if the motor is not the primary power source. If you plan to operate on state waters, the boat must be numbered before launch.¹

A few boats do not use this application. Federally documented vessels carry a U.S. Coast Guard number and cannot also hold a state number. Foreign vessels, U.S. public vessels, state and municipal boats used only for official business, ships’ lifeboats, and undocumented boats used exclusively for racing are exempt. A boat properly numbered in another state can operate in Mississippi for up to 60 days without a Mississippi registration.¹

Where to Get the Form

Download the application from the MDWFP website or pick up a paper copy at an MDWFP regional office. New registrations can also be started entirely online through the MDWFP portal at boating.outdoors.ms, where you enter the boat information and upload documents without visiting an office.²

Filling Out the Application

The shaded fields on the paper form are mandatory. Check every entry against the boat and your documents before you send it in, because errors slow processing.

Owner Information

Enter your full legal name, date of birth, mailing address, county, phone number, and email, along with your driver’s license number or Social Security number. A co-owner’s name, date of birth, and driver’s license or SSN go in a separate section.³ The statute requires the owner’s name, address, date of birth, Social Security or driver’s license number, and citizenship information (county, state, and country).⁴

Vessel and Motor Details

Record the boat’s make, model, model year, and length in feet and inches. The form asks for hull material (wood, steel, aluminum, plastic, or other), primary operation type, fuel type, and whether you plan to use the boat for saltwater fishing. Identify the engine drive type (inboard, outboard, stern drive, pod drive, or other) and the propulsion method (propeller, water jet, air thrust, sail, manual, or other).³

Enter the serial number or 12-digit Hull Identification Number (HIN), usually stamped on the right side of the transom. Boats built after November 1972 should have a 12-digit HIN; older boats will have a shorter serial number. Add the motor serial number, manufacturer, model year, and horsepower. If the boat is currently registered anywhere, write that number on the form.⁵

If the Boat Has No HIN

Every boat needs a hull identification or serial number. If yours does not have one, which can happen with homemade vessels or older boats where the plate has corroded away, an MDWFP officer has to inspect the boat before the registration can go through. Download the MDWFP Boat Inspection Form and call the nearest regional office to schedule.⁵

What to Attach

Proof of ownership and tax documentation go in with the form. What you include depends on how you got the boat.

If you bought it from a private individual, attach a notarized or witnessed bill of sale signed by both buyer and seller, plus proof of the last registered owner (usually a copy of the seller’s registration card).³ Casual sales between private parties carry a 3% sales tax on the boat’s true value as calculated under Department of Revenue guidelines.⁶

If you bought from a dealer, include the dealer’s invoice and proof that Mississippi sales tax was paid. Retail dealer sales are taxed at 4%.⁶ For an out-of-state dealer purchase, either show proof the tax was already paid or pay Mississippi use tax before the certificate of number can issue.⁴

If the boat is already registered in your name in another state, send a copy of that out-of-state registration in place of a bill of sale. You still need proof of the last registered owner.³

When you sign, you are declaring under penalty of law that you own the vessel and that the information is true. The owner has to sign personally; a spouse or friend cannot sign for you.

Fees

MDWFP charges registration fees by vessel length, set by statute and covering the full three-year period. Payment is typically by check or money order to MDWFP. Confirm the current amount with MDWFP or on the agency website before you mail your packet, since the schedule can change by legislative action.

Submitting the Application

You have three submission channels:

By mail to MDWFP Boat Registration, 1505 Eastover Dr., Jackson, MS 39211. Use a tracked service; the envelope contains personal identifiers and original documents.⁵
In person at MDWFP headquarters in Jackson or at a regional office: North Regional in Enid, Central Regional in Canton, or South Regional in Magnolia.⁷
Online at boating.outdoors.ms, which handles new registrations, renewals, and duplicate orders.²

Business-owned vessels cannot be registered online. Those applications have to go in by mail or in person.⁵

What You Receive and How to Display It

After approval, MDWFP sends a certificate of number and two validation decals. The certificate lists your name and address, the awarded number, the vessel specifications, and the expiration date, and state law requires the operator to carry it on the vessel whenever it is in use.⁸

Paint or affix the awarded number on each side of the forward half of the vessel in block characters at least three inches tall, in a color that contrasts with the hull. No other number may appear on the bow.⁹ Place a validation decal on each side within six inches of the number.¹⁰

Renewal, Lost Cards, and Changes

Registrations run three consecutive years from the registration date, with the expiration shown on the card. MDWFP mails a renewal notice about 60 days out, and you can renew in that same window online at boating.outdoors.ms, by phone at 1-800-5GO-HUNT, by mail to Jackson, or in person wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.⁵

If the certificate is lost or destroyed, notify MDWFP in writing within 15 days, describe what happened, and include the replacement fee. You can also order a duplicate through the online portal.¹¹ Any change of ownership or address must also be reported within 15 days.⁸

One Thing Registration Does Not Cover

Registering the boat does not satisfy Mississippi’s boater education rule. Anyone born after June 30, 1980 must complete a boater education course before operating a motorized boat or personal watercraft in the state, and must carry proof of completion while operating. Children under 12 may operate a boat only when accompanied by someone at least 21 years old.¹²

1
Justia. Mississippi Code 59-21-5 – Requirement of Numbering of Undocumented Vessels
2
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Recreational Vehicles
3
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Mississippi Motor Boat Registration Application
4
Justia. Mississippi Code 59-21-11 – Application for Certificate of Number
5
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Boat Registration and Renewal
6
Mississippi Legislature. HB1635
7
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Mississippi Motor Boat Registration Application
8
Justia. Mississippi Code 59-21-17 – Contents of Certificate of Number
9
FindLaw. Mississippi Code 59-21-9 – Numbering of Vessels
10
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. MS Boating Rules and Regulations Overview
11
Mississippi Legislature. HB1258
12
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Boater Education