MN DNR Boat Registration: Fees, Three-Year Renewal, and Titling

Minnesota DNR boat registration is required for every motorized watercraft and for non-motorized vessels longer than 10 feet before you can legally operate on state waters. Registration runs on a three-year cycle, and the total bill ranges from about $51.50 for a canoe or kayak to $279.50 for a powerboat 40 feet or longer once the aquatic invasive species surcharge and filing fees are added in. You can register in person at any deputy registrar office, by mail to the DNR in St. Paul, or online if you’re renewing.

Which Boats Need to Be Registered

If it has a motor, it needs a Minnesota watercraft license. Non-motorized vessels over 10 feet long also need one, which sweeps in most canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, sailboards, rowing shells, and paddleboats on Minnesota lakes.

Several categories are exempt under Minnesota Statutes section 86B.301:1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 86B.301 – Watercraft Licenses Required

  • Non-motorized watercraft 10 feet or shorter.
  • Boats properly registered in another state or country, for up to 90 consecutive days on Minnesota waters.
  • Watercraft owned by the United States, tribal governments, the state, or political subdivisions.
  • Duck boats and rice boats, during their respective harvest seasons only.
  • Seaplanes, ship’s lifeboats, and federally documented vessels.

What to Have Ready Before You Apply

The Watercraft Title and Registration Application is a single form you can pick up at any deputy registrar or download from the DNR website.2Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Title and Registration Application Before you fill it out, pull together:

  • The 12-character Hull Identification Number stamped on the transom.
  • Vessel length, measured straight-line from bow tip to stern. Bowsprits, outboard motor brackets, and rudders don’t count.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees
  • Manufacturer, model year, hull material (wood, metal, or plastic), and propulsion type (inboard, outboard, sail, and so on).
  • A sales receipt showing Minnesota sales tax of 6.875% plus any local tax was collected. Private-party sales from someone not in the business of selling boats may qualify as an isolated or occasional sale and be exempt.4Minnesota Department of Revenue. Use Tax for Individuals – FS156

If the boat has a Minnesota title, the seller’s signed-over title certificate is your proof of ownership transfer. If it doesn’t, you need a bill of sale listing the year, make, and HIN of the boat along with the seller’s printed name and signature.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees

Where to File Your Application

In Person at a Deputy Registrar

Most owners handle registration at a local Deputy Registrar of Motor Vehicles office. Staff process the paperwork on the spot, accept cash, check, or credit card, and can issue a temporary operating permit the same day. For a brand-new registration or an ownership transfer, in person is usually the cleanest route because staff can catch missing documents before they delay anything.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees

By Mail

Mail the completed application, supporting documents, and payment to: Minnesota DNR, Box 26 – Watercraft, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155-4026. Processing takes longer, and you’ll need to wait for the registration card and decals to arrive before you can legally operate the boat.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees

Online (Renewals Only)

If you’re just renewing, the DNR’s online licensing system handles it without a trip to the office. Print the temporary permit or save the temporary authorization number from your confirmation page, and the new registration card and expiration decals come in the mail. Someone other than the registered owner can renew on your behalf with either the DNR-generated renewal notice or a signed Consent to Renew Registration form.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees

What Registration Costs

Fees cover a full three-year period. Every transaction also includes the aquatic invasive species (AIS) surcharge, a $1.50 electronic licensing system fee, and a $7.00 filing fee for new registrations and transfers ($4.50 for renewals and duplicates). The base fees themselves are set by statute.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 86B.415 – Watercraft License Fees The 2026 schedule:6Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota Boating Guide 2026

  • Canoes, kayaks, sailboards, paddleboards, paddleboats, rowing shells: $23 base + $20 AIS = $51.50
  • Sailboats 19 feet or shorter: $23 base + $20 AIS = $51.50
  • Motorboats under 17 feet: $36 base + $25 AIS = $69.50
  • Motorboats 17–19 feet: $59 base + $29 AIS = $96.50
  • Motorboats over 19 feet but under 26 feet: $113 base + $38 AIS = $159.50
  • Motorboats 26 feet to under 40 feet: $164 base + $50 AIS = $222.50
  • Motorboats 40 feet and over: $209 base + $62 AIS = $279.50
  • Personal watercraft (jet skis): $85 base + $25 AIS = $118.50
  • Commercial watercraft, including charter fishing: $164 base + $50 AIS = $222.50
  • Rental or lease watercraft 19 feet or shorter: $14 base + $25 AIS = $47.50
  • Nonprofit water safety instruction: $8 base + $14 AIS = $30.50
  • Dealer’s license: $142 base + $50 AIS = $200.50

Sailboats over 19 feet follow the same tiers as pleasure craft of the same length. Transferring a registration without renewing costs $4.50 plus the $7.00 filing fee, with no AIS surcharge.

The Three-Year Cycle and Renewal

Every Minnesota watercraft registration covers three calendar years and expires on December 31 of the final year. The DNR mails renewal reminders to the address on file, so keep your mailing address current.3Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Watercraft Licenses – Registration Procedures and Fees If you miss the notice and lapse, you can still renew, and Minnesota lets a boat keep the same registration number even after skipping a cycle or two. Operating with an expired registration can draw a citation from a conservation officer. The renewal itself is identical to the original: pay the three-year fee at a deputy registrar, by mail, or online.

Titling Happens on the Same Form

Any watercraft kept in Minnesota for more than 90 consecutive days must have a certificate of title. Exceptions include boats manufactured before August 1, 1979, dealer inventory, government-owned vessels, resort fleet boats that have never been previously titled, and duck or rice boats used only during their respective seasons.7Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 86B.825 – Certificate of Title Required The title application and registration application are typically submitted together on the same form, which is why gathering the ownership documents up front matters.

Buying or Selling a Boat

When a titled boat changes hands, the seller signs the assignment section on the back of the title and the buyer applies for a new title and registration. Minnesota law requires the new owner to file for a new certificate of title within 15 days of taking delivery.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 86B.840 – Voluntary Transfer Missing that deadline doesn’t void the sale, but it creates problems if you need to prove ownership for insurance or if the previous owner picks up fines on a boat they no longer have.

For non-titled boats (pre-1979 or otherwise exempt), the buyer needs a bill of sale listing the year, make, and HIN plus the seller’s printed name and signature. Bring that to a deputy registrar with the completed application and the registration fee. If there’s a lien, the lender holds the title until the loan is paid off and must release it before the sale can close cleanly.

Displaying Your Number and Decals

Your Minnesota registration number starts with the “MN” prefix, followed by numerals, followed by trailing letters. Display rules under Minnesota Rule 6110.0300 require you to paint on, decal, or affix the number to both sides of the forward half of the hull, reading left to right, in block characters at least three inches tall and in a color that contrasts with the hull.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rule 6110.0300 – Display of License Number and Validation Decal on Motorized Watercraft The letter and numeral groups must be separated by three to four inches of space, with characters within each group spaced one-half to three-quarters of an inch apart.

The validation decal showing your current expiration year goes on each side of the hull, toward the stern, within four inches of the registration number. One decal per side.

Trailers Are Registered Separately

Your boat trailer needs its own registration, handled through the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division rather than the DNR. The same deputy registrar offices process both transactions, so you can take care of boat and trailer in one visit, but registering one does not cover the other.