Out of state boat registration

[Ratherbefishing75]

Just a quick question  my boat is registered and I’m planning on taking it out of state to do some fishing this year I don’t need to do anything special  I hope 

[Bird]

No additional registration required.

If you plan to fish you'll need a license for the state you plan to fish.

Most states offer a 3 day license and up for a minimal fee. 

Various rules and regulations vary from state to state that you must abide by though.......fire extinguishers, throw cushions as examples.

[slonezp]

More than likely no as long as your registration is current. There are some states that have some goofy requirements, mostly because of invasive species. You should be able to verify online if you are legal or not. 

 

[Ratherbefishing75]

That’s what I was thinking  rather be safe then sorry thank you ☺️ 

[immortl]

As stated above, I believe if you're registered you're mostly good in other states.  I'm currently in NJ but just sent in all the registration paperwork to register my kayak back in MT because I'm putting a motor on it.  It'll get back to me via mail forwarding.  Then I should be good here in NJ and where ever else I wander around to.

[airshot]

Check where ever you plan on going.  A friend uses his boat in a small inland lake that requires proof of having your boat sanitized to prevent invasive species transport..  He adds a small amount of bleach, some use cleaning vinegar, pour a small amount in your bilge.  When the ramp officer asks for proof of cleaning he just pops his drain plug and the officer checks for bleach or vinegar by smell....always gives him the OK to launch.  Not sure if this would work everywhere !!!!

[Jigfishn10]

21 hours ago, slonezp said:

More than likely no as long as your registration is current. There are some states that have some goofy requirements, mostly because of invasive species. You should be able to verify online if you are legal or not. 

 

My boat is registered in MA and moored all summer in ME. No problem. The insurance company just wants to know where my boat is, so it a quick email with my address up there and done.

 

My trailer, however, is registered in MA but has to go back in MA. I can’t store it in ME. For whatever reason.

[airshot]

3 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

My boat is registered in MA and moored all summer in ME. No problem. The insurance company just wants to know where my boat is, so it a quick email with my address up there and done.

 

My trailer, however, is registered in MA but has to go back in MA. I can’t store it in ME. For whatever reason.

States vary on that, I am in Ohio, close to the Mich border.  In both our states the local sheriff and DNR folks will mark a moored boat with an out of state registration. If the boat is moored for 30 days they will issue a citation...any boat kept for over 30 days must show that states registration.  As an Ohio resident, I can get a Mich registration if I keep my boat in Mich and vice versa.  The surrounding states honor each others state regs as long as the boat is not permanently kept in the other state...over 30 days means permanent I guess...

[Jigfishn10]

8 hours ago, airshot said:

States vary on that, I am in Ohio, close to the Mich border.  In both our states the local sheriff and DNR folks will mark a moored boat with an out of state registration. If the boat is moored for 30 days they will issue a citation...any boat kept for over 30 days must show that states registration.  As an Ohio resident, I can get a Mich registration if I keep my boat in Mich and vice versa.  The surrounding states honor each others state regs as long as the boat is not permanently kept in the other state...over 30 days means permanent I guess...

I agree with both you and slonezp. 

There is only a limited amount of moorings that can be put out in the bay and I have to get a mooring permit yearly. Part of the paperwork required is the current boat registration as well as a description of the mooring. 

My last 2 boats each had Maine registrations and I used them in both Maine and Mass waters.

 

I was merely pointing out the “goofy” requirements (as slonezp mentions) with my boat trailer. 

 

I think it’s up to the states and how they reciprocate. 

[casts_by_fly]

On 3/3/2023 at 10:54 PM, immortl said:

As stated above, I believe if you're registered you're mostly good in other states.  I'm currently in NJ but just sent in all the registration paperwork to register my kayak back in MT because I'm putting a motor on it.  It'll get back to me via mail forwarding.  Then I should be good here in NJ and where ever else I wander around to.

If you keep the boat here for 6 months consecutively you have to transfer the registration to NJ.

 

[immortl]

4 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

If you keep the boat here for 6 months consecutively you have to transfer the registration to NJ.

 

While I'm mainly here for a while to take care of my elderly parents, we do periodically wander down to NC (medical stuff for wife) or AL (visit/help out step son) for a week or three at a time.  And we'll also be wandering some checking out areas we may want to settle and buy property (NC, KY, TN, WV) as well.  Kayak will come with us, particulary to NC where we've stayed on Jordan Lake in the past.   Figuring out if I can put it up on roof of truck with 5th wheel hooked up or if we'll need to toss it on the roof of her car is one  of my future projects.  This is all done with a 40ft 5th wheel RV, we have been full timing for about 2yrs now, even though we spend a lot of time here in NJ for my parents.  Going with the never in one spot long enough consecutively to have to cut over but try to also keep a low profile, which this post is probably contrary to.

[Deleted account]

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

If you keep the boat here for 6 months consecutively you have to transfer the registration to NJ.

 

 

Yes, I doubt they will hassle a guy with a kayak, they are after real boats. We keep boats in both NY and NJ, and know most of the aquatic LEOs fairly well. A while back we got boarded by a newish one, and we let him count all our fish  thinking we were way over our limit before handing him the commercial license, he wasn't amused, his boss was...

[airshot]

I have saw kayaks attached vertically to the ladder on the rear of travel trailers and motorhomes many times.  Might be easier than climbing on the roof. As long as you have a registration on your kayak, no worries.  It wont be tied up to a dock for weeks on end!!

[immortl]

1 hour ago, airshot said:

I have saw kayaks attached vertically to the ladder on the rear of travel trailers and motorhomes many times.  Might be easier than climbing on the roof. As long as you have a registration on your kayak, no worries.  It wont be tied up to a dock for weeks on end!!

Had I purchased the Pro Angler 12 my life might be a little easier with regard to transport, but I purchased the 14 (13' 8").  I wouldn't trust the weight on the rear ladder and the height of it vertical would be a few inches taller than the trailer, more so once I pushed it up so as to not hit the ground.  Roof of her car (VW Passat Wagon) is pretty easy.  Last time we were in AL for a few months, we decided it would be nice to have her car with us.  She doesn't really like driving nor riding in the truck much. 

 

If I was to put it on the roof of the truck, getting it up there wouldn't be too bad - up into the bed and then up onto the roof, before hooking up to the RV.  The catch is to leave enough room for the trailer to swing about, I have to push the kayak forward to where I think the kayak would extend about 2' or so PAST the front bumper.  It can only overhang the rear of the cab by about 2' or so.  My thought on this is 'yay new front bumper with hitch mount in the center' and one of those taller elevating T racks up front for support.  Then I just have to be careful and not cut things close and harpoon the semi trailer in front of me with the kayak. 

 

And I agree, while likely in the gray area or beyond, it's not in a slip somewhere, ought not be hassled to much, fingers crossed. 

[casts_by_fly]

3 hours ago, immortl said:

While I'm mainly here for a while to take care of my elderly parents, we do periodically wander down to NC (medical stuff for wife) or AL (visit/help out step son) for a week or three at a time.  And we'll also be wandering some checking out areas we may want to settle and buy property (NC, KY, TN, WV) as well.  Kayak will come with us, particulary to NC where we've stayed on Jordan Lake in the past.   Figuring out if I can put it up on roof of truck with 5th wheel hooked up or if we'll need to toss it on the roof of her car is one  of my future projects.  This is all done with a 40ft 5th wheel RV, we have been full timing for about 2yrs now, even though we spend a lot of time here in NJ for my parents.  Going with the never in one spot long enough consecutively to have to cut over but try to also keep a low profile, which this post is probably contrary to.

fair enough. In that case I’d pick the easiest state option too. 

3 hours ago, Deleted account said:

 

Yes, I doubt they will hassle a guy with a kayak, they are after real boats. We keep boats in both NY and NJ, and know most of the aquatic LEOs fairly well. A while back we got boarded by a newish one, and we let him count all our fish  thinking we were way over our limit before handing him the commercial license, he wasn't amused, his boss was...

yeah, probably. But then you never know who’s going to check you.  Come off a small lake and have a nit picky one who isn’t busy and you get a ticket. I’d just hate for someone to get a ticket that’s unnecessary when a nj boat registration is $12 a year. 

[immortl]

49 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

fair enough. In that case I’d pick the easiest state option too. 

yeah, probably. But then you never know who’s going to check you.  Come off a small lake and have a nit picky one who isn’t busy and you get a ticket. I’d just hate for someone to get a ticket that’s unnecessary when a nj boat registration is $12 a year. 

I didn't dig to far into it, but wouldn't I need a NJ driver's license to register it here? That's one of my primary hangups.  For assorted reasons I'm clinging to my MT license.

 

[casts_by_fly]

The rules here are that if you’ve moved NJ and this is your residence, then you have to transfer your license is 60 days. So if your address is here then you should have done your drivers license already. The usual tests of where you work, where do you sleep most of the time, where are your bank statements sent, etc, are what they would use if you ever got into a dispute about residence. 
 

yes, you have to be resident in order to register and title as best I can tell. One of the main things is bringing ‘6 points’ of ID.  Half of the points are for identity and half are for residence (bank statements, utility bills, drivers license, etc) which implies that you need to be resident to register a boat. 
 

also, not sure if MT had the requirement, but for all motorized boats here you have to have passed a boaters safety course. If you’re driving a boat with bigger than a 9.9 or a few other rules you also need it on your nj drivers license, but that won’t affect a motorized kayak. 
 

again, the likelihood that you get pulled and ticketed for any of this is low.

[Alex from GA]

I know in FL your out of state license is good for up to 6 months.  I drag my boat there every winter for 3-5 months.  The only thing I'm asked for is my FL fishing license.

[immortl]

14 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

The rules here are that if you’ve moved NJ and this is your residence, then you have to transfer your license is 60 days. So if your address is here then you should have done your drivers license already. The usual tests of where you work, where do you sleep most of the time, where are your bank statements sent, etc, are what they would use if you ever got into a dispute about residence. 
 

yes, you have to be resident in order to register and title as best I can tell. One of the main things is bringing ‘6 points’ of ID.  Half of the points are for identity and half are for residence (bank statements, utility bills, drivers license, etc) which implies that you need to be resident to register a boat. 
 

also, not sure if MT had the requirement, but for all motorized boats here you have to have passed a boaters safety course. If you’re driving a boat with bigger than a 9.9 or a few other rules you also need it on your nj drivers license, but that won’t affect a motorized kayak. 
 

again, the likelihood that you get pulled and ticketed for any of this is low.

While not required for MT, I'm going to take the NJ boating safety course for good measure.  Port is left, correct?  They both have 4 letters, that's how I remember it.  I don't follow the wife's explanation of red-right-return for buoys.  Seems to me it would hold true to both heading out and returning? 

 

Full time RVing makes for a large gray area in my life.  I tend to keep the accountant updated and let him deal with it for taxes.  What few bills I have are tied to and are sent to MT, including bank statements.  All mail gets forwarded to wherever I am at periodically when I call in.  I have very little to show to qualify for changing residence to anywhere.  Some of the wife's meds are challenging to fill, but I have a system for MT that works.  As you said, the likelihood of getting challenged, particularly for a kayak, are low and I'm ok playing the odds on this one.  My NJ hunting and fishing licenses are both Non-Resident which I think would help support any challenges in the field.  Once we decide where we want to settle down, we'll make things more official for that location, but until then, we're sort of floating on the wind for a while. 

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, immortl said:

While not required for MT, I'm going to take the NJ boating safety course for good measure.  Port is left, correct?  They both have 4 letters, that's how I remember it.  I don't follow the wife's explanation of red-right-return for buoys.  Seems to me it would hold true to both heading out and returning? 

 

Full time RVing makes for a large gray area in my life.  I tend to keep the accountant updated and let him deal with it for taxes.  What few bills I have are tied to and are sent to MT, including bank statements.  All mail gets forwarded to wherever I am at periodically when I call in.  I have very little to show to qualify for changing residence to anywhere.  Some of the wife's meds are challenging to fill, but I have a system for MT that works.  As you said, the likelihood of getting challenged, particularly for a kayak, are low and I'm ok playing the odds on this one.  My NJ hunting and fishing licenses are both Non-Resident which I think would help support any challenges in the field.  Once we decide where we want to settle down, we'll make things more official for that location, but until then, we're sort of floating on the wind for a while. 

The buoys don’t flip sides of the channels just because your boat turned around 180 degrees . Returning is upstream.

[immortl]

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

The buoys don’t flip sides of the channels just because your boat turned around 180 degrees . Returning is upstream.

Ok, now I feel stupid. I drew myself a little picture while on this conference call.  I get it now.  I thought it was keep the red light on the boat facing the buoy.  There must be red light/paint on the buoy?  See, I could use the course and have no problems taking it.  Need to get that scheduled.

[TnRiver46]

6 minutes ago, immortl said:

Ok, now I feel stupid. I drew myself a little picture while on this conference call.  I get it now.  I thought it was keep the red light on the boat facing the buoy.  There must be red light/paint on the buoy?  See, I could use the course and have no problems taking it.  Need to get that scheduled.

I was gonna draw you a pic but I couldn’t figure how on an iPhone haha. Yes buoys are painted and reflective, boat lights have nothing to do with the saying 

[casts_by_fly]

17 minutes ago, immortl said:

While not required for MT, I'm going to take the NJ boating safety course for good measure.  Port is left, correct?  They both have 4 letters, that's how I remember it.  I don't follow the wife's explanation of red-right-return for buoys.  Seems to me it would hold true to both heading out and returning? 

 

Full time RVing makes for a large gray area in my life.  I tend to keep the accountant updated and let him deal with it for taxes.  What few bills I have are tied to and are sent to MT, including bank statements.  All mail gets forwarded to wherever I am at periodically when I call in.  I have very little to show to qualify for changing residence to anywhere.  Some of the wife's meds are challenging to fill, but I have a system for MT that works.  As you said, the likelihood of getting challenged, particularly for a kayak, are low and I'm ok playing the odds on this one.  My NJ hunting and fishing licenses are both Non-Resident which I think would help support any challenges in the field.  Once we decide where we want to settle down, we'll make things more official for that location, but until then, we're sort of floating on the wind for a while. 

 

My brother in law is a heavy equipment mechanic and owns his own truck.  He's in a similar position to you in that they live out of their 50' trailer (house on wheels).  They have maintained the house they own in PA so that their son can use the PA cyber schooling no matter where they are.  Similar for bank statements and drivers licenses.  They do everything with online banking/billpay/registrations so very little need for physical anything.

 

If you're deciding on where to settle, I would advise against jersey if you have a choice, especially if you plan to own a house.  Property tax is incredible here.  If you can be just across the border in PA you'll save $15-20k per year.

 

The boat safety courses are valid for all states and lots of states require them now.  Its not hard.  I did the online training and practice tests in the week leading up to the proctored exam.  Booking into the exam is the hardest bit since a lot of them get booked up this time of year and they don't run as many into the spring/summer.  Search around for a convenient date and just get it booked.

[Deleted account]

41 minutes ago, immortl said:

I don't follow the wife's explanation of red-right-return for buoys.  Seems to me it would hold true to both heading out and returning? 

 

Let your wife drive the boat...

[Deleted account]

30 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was gonna draw you a pic but I couldn’t figure how on an iPhone haha. Yes buoys are painted and reflective, boat lights have nothing to do with the saying 

Passing "red to red" is a common VHF communication on busy tight channels with oncoming traffic, but yes "right, red, returning" refers to the color and lights of the can "Green, Going, Gauche" works too ey?.... For the OP and anyone else having an issue picturing this, try it on the kitchen table with a couple of props, or match the running lights with the cans on the way out, and opposite on the way back, because the cans are stationary, and you did a 180.