Registration Renewal
Florida law requires vessel registrations to be renewed before they expire. Florida vessel registrations expire as follows:
- For vessels owned by individuals, the expiration date is the birthday of the first owner listed on the registration
- For company-owned vessels, the expiration date is June 30th
To renew, the previous registration or registration renewal notice is required.
Vessel registration and decal renewals may be done online, by mail, or at one of the Tax Collector’s Service Centers or at an approved Tag Agency in Polk County.
To renew vessel registrations and decals online, click here.
For authorized Tag Agency and Service Center locations, click here.
To renew by mail, be on the lookout for your registration renewal notice! As a courtesy, the Tax Collector’s Office mails renewal notices to resident vessel owners. The courtesy renewal notices are mailed approximately 3 weeks prior to the vessel owners birth month (or month in which the renewal is due). The renewal notice includes materials which allow vessel owners to more easily renew their registration(s) by mail. Florida law does not require registration renewal notices for vessels to be mailed, and failure to receive a courtesy renewal notice by mail does not relieve the vessel owner of their responsibility to timely renew their vessel registrations and decals.
The cost of renewing a registration and tag varies according to the length of the vessel.
Initial Registration
Generally, residents are required to have current Florida registrations and titles for their applicable vessels (boats).
Non-residents must register their out-of-state vessels in Florida, if the vessel is used in Florida’s waters for more than 90 days.
Initial vessel registrations may be obtained at an authorized Tag Agency or Service Center location. For authorized Tag Agency and Service Center locations, click here.
Transfer of Ownership on a Florida Title
When seeking to transfer the ownership of a vessel in Florida, you must bring the following items to an authorized Tag Agency or Service Center location (for location information, click here):
- The Florida title properly completed by the seller
- Each applicant must sign the application for the title (this is done at the time of transfer)
- Proof of identity (one of the following) must be provided:
- Copy of your valid driver license or identification card issued by Florida or another state. This includes any U.S. territory.
- Copy of your valid passport
- Copy of your valid Canadian driver license, identification card, passport, or passport card.
Title Application on a New Vessel
If you have a vessel (new or used) purchased from a Florida dealership, the dealer will usually process the certificate of title.
If a new vessel from an out-of-state dealership has been purchased or a new Application for Title needs to be processed on a new vessel, you can process your Application for Title at an authorized Tag Agency or Service Center location. For authorized Tag Agency and Service Center locations, click here.
Note: The Application for Title form (HSMV 82040) is made available through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The following items are needed in addition to a completed Application for Certificate of Title:
- A manufacturer’s certificate of origin
- Each applicant must sign the application at the time of transfer
- A bill of sale or invoice listing the purchase price, sales tax paid, and any trade-in allowance (note additional sales tax may be due)
- Any applicable lienholder information
Title Application on an Out-Of-State Vessel
When seeking to register a vessel that was previously titled out-of-state, a Certificate of Title Application may be completed and submitted to an authorized Tag Agency or Service Center location. For authorized Tag Agency and Service Center locations, click here.
The following items are also required:
- The out-of-state title certificate in your name or assigned to you
- Each applicant must sign the application at the time of transfer
- Florida Sales Tax may be due if the vessel was purchased less than 6 months prior to importing the vessel to Florida (proof of any sales tax paid to another state will be required, also the full 6% Florida Sales Tax and any applicable local option tax is due on all vessels imported from foreign countries)
- Any applicable lienholder information