Texas Boat Bill of Sale: 45-Day Deadline, Tax, and Fees

A Texas boat bill of sale is the signed document that records who sold a vessel or outboard motor, who bought it, the price, and the date the deal closed. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will not issue a new certificate of title without one, and the buyer has just 45 days from the sale date to file for that title before tax penalties start accruing.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Tax and Bill of Sale Requirements2State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 31.046 – Application for Certificate of Title

What the Bill of Sale Must Include

The document is your proof of what changed hands and for how much, so every field matters. At minimum, put down:

  • Full legal names and addresses of the buyer and the seller
  • The exact purchase price, or a statement that the vessel was a gift
  • The date ownership transferred
  • The Hull Identification Number (HIN), the serial number stamped into the transom or on a permanent plate3State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 31.043 – Manufacturers Identification Number
  • The current Texas registration number, plus the make, model, year, and length
  • The outboard motor’s serial number and manufacturer, listed separately, because Texas titles motors independently from the hull
  • Signatures from both the buyer and the seller

If any of these details are missing or conflict with the certificate of title, TPWD can reject the application and stall the entire transfer.

Get the Signed Original Title, Too

A bill of sale on its own does not move ownership. The seller must sign the front and back of the existing certificate of title and hand you the original.4Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Buying and Selling a Boat in Texas Do not release payment on a used boat without that signed original title in hand. Without it, you cannot do a standard transfer, and you will be pushed into the bonded title process instead, which adds a $37 title fee, a surety bond, and a longer review before you get any paperwork back.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Title Requirements

One boundary worth noting: if a trailer comes with the boat, it has its own title handled through your county tax assessor-collector’s office, not TPWD.5Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Title Requirements Have the seller sign that title over separately.

The 45-Day Deadline and Sales Tax

Texas law gives the buyer 45 days from the sale date to apply for a new certificate of title. When a dealer is the seller, the dealer must file the application in the buyer’s name inside that same window. TPWD will not issue a title until the sales tax due under Chapter 160 of the Tax Code has been paid, so the tax payment and the title application move together as one step.2State of Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 31.046 – Application for Certificate of Title

Applications filed after the 45-working-day mark are subject to tax penalties and interest on top of the original amount owed.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Tax and Bill of Sale Requirements A buyer who waits a few months to get around to it can face a noticeably larger bill than the base tax would have been.

The tax itself is 6.25% of the total consideration paid, and it is the buyer’s obligation.6Texas Public Law. Texas Tax Code Section 160.021 – Retail Sales Tax The rate applies whether you bought from a dealer or a private seller. In a private sale, you pay it directly to TPWD at the time of the transfer rather than to the seller. TPWD collects this tax on vessels 115 feet or less and on all outboard motors purchased in Texas or brought into the state.1Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Tax and Bill of Sale Requirements On a $20,000 boat, that is $1,250 before you touch title or registration fees.

Fees Due When You File

The certificate of title is a flat $27, for new titles and transfers alike.7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fee Chart for Boats and Outboard Motors If the sale includes an outboard motor, that motor needs its own $27 title.

Registration fees scale with the boat’s length:7Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Fee Chart for Boats and Outboard Motors

  • Under 16 feet (Class A): $32
  • 16 to under 26 feet (Class 1): $53
  • 26 to under 40 feet (Class 2): $110
  • 40 feet or more (Class 3): $150

A typical 20-foot fishing boat with a single outboard runs $27 for the vessel title, $27 for the motor title, and $53 for registration: $107 in fees, plus the 6.25% sales tax on top.

Where to File

You have a few options. The most direct is a participating county tax assessor-collector’s office or a TPWD regional office, where staff can process the transaction in person.8Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. References, Tools and Forms for Boat Titling and Registration

You can also submit remotely:

Remote filing is convenient but slower. Titles print 21 days after TPWD finishes processing and are then mailed from Austin, so build agency review and postal delivery into your 45-day plan.9Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Vessel/Boat Records Maintenance

If You Are the Seller: 20-Day Notice

The recorded owner must notify TPWD within 20 days after selling, donating, or gifting a boat or outboard motor.10Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Ownership Transfer The same 20-day notice applies if the vessel is permanently removed from Texas or destroyed. Skip this step and you can stay legally connected to a boat you no longer own, which is a problem if the new owner has an accident, abandons the vessel, or lets the registration lapse under your name.

Keep a copy of the signed bill of sale for your records. It is the evidence of when the boat left your hands and at what price, and you will want it if the tax office or TPWD comes asking months later.