The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) administers all boat titling and registration of recreational boats in Virginia. If the motorboat is principally used on the public waters of Virginia it must be registered and titled in Virginia as opposed to another state.
Application(s) and supporting documents submitted online MUST be mailed to DWR Boat Section, P.O. Box 9930, Henrico, VA 23228.
At DWR Headquarters, 7870 Villa Park Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23228, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday, except holidays.
Mail original application(s) and supporting documents to DWR, Boat Section, P.O. Box 9930, Henrico, VA 23228.
All forms can be found at the Forms section of this website.
All watercraft titling fees can be found at the here.
The “Application for Watercraft Certificate of Title and Certificate of Number (Registration)” form is a combined application for both the registration and title. The application must include a purchase price for the boat and motor only and must also be signed by the buyer(s). The application requires a detailed description of the watercraft that includes:
Most of this information will be available from the Certificate of Title and/or Certificate of Number (Registration) provided by the previous owner or the Manufacturer’s Statement (or Certificate) of Origin provided by the retail outlet where the watercraft was purchased.
The following supporting documents must be submitted with an application for titling and registration as follows:
Note: Watercraft cannot be documented by the USCG and titled at the same time. The owner must choose between documentation or titling. While a documented vessel may not be titled, it may be registered at the owner’s discretion should a registration decal be desired to show proof that sales tax was paid. The registration decals may be useful if the watercraft is operated in other states that require a registration decal or other proof that sales tax was paid.
Any size, type, or horsepower of motor on a watercraft requires it to be registered. Only motors in excess of 25 horsepower are listed on titles.
Note: Only one valid title is recognized for each watercraft. If a duplicate title is issued, the duplicate title prevails over any previously issued title(s).
Registrations are valid for three years. Renewal notifications are emailed or mailed to the last known email address or postal address of all watercraft owners in advance of registration renewal. The most common reason owners do not receive a renewal notification is because their address has changed within three years and the DWR was not notified within 15 days as required by law. If a renewal notification was not received, the registration may be renewed by completing the “Application for Watercraft Certificate of Title and Certificate of Number (Registration)” and marking the Type of Transaction as “Renew Registration” at the top of the application. Renewals may also be completed online at GoOutdoorsVirginia.com. The information needed to renew online is your current Virginia registration number and renewal PIN.
If a registered watercraft is sold, destroyed, abandoned, or stolen, or if there is a change in your mailing address, you are required by law to report this information within 15 days in writing to the DWR Boat Section. A change in status or change of mailing address may also be completed online at GoOutdoorsVirginia.com. The information needed to make this change online is your current Virginia registration number, Hull Identification Number, and the last name of the primary owner. A “Notification of Change in Status of a Numbered Vessel” form is available at all the locations where the application is available (see “Watercraft Registration, Titling & Sales Tax Requirements”). The notification can be mailed to DWR, Boat Section, P.O. Box 9930, Henrico, VA 23228 or emailed to boat-reg@dwr.virginia.gov.
You must have a valid registration card on the vessel before your watercraft may legally be operated on public waters. The three-year registration card is the official document of registration for your watercraft and once it has been issued, it must be carried aboard the watercraft while in use. If you purchased a used watercraft with valid, current registration, you may operate the vessel for 30 days from the date of purchase provided you carry a dated bill of sale and the former owner’s valid registration card.
Decals are furnished with each three-year registration issued by DWR. Decals indicate the month and year of expiration, and the registration number assigned to your watercraft. Decals must be displayed within 6 inches of the registration number on each side of the watercraft for which they were issued. Only the current decal may be visible. Expired decals must be removed.
The number issued to your watercraft appears on the registration and is to be displayed exactly as it appears on each side of the forward half of the vessel in block letters, at least 3 inches in height, and contrasting in color with hull or background. They may be painted or attached to the watercraft, must read from left to right, and must always be legible. A space or hyphen must separate both the “VA” abbreviation and the letter suffix from the numerals.
On vessels so configured that a number on the hull or superstructure would not be easily visible, or the number would not remain securely attached (as on an inflatable vessel), the number may be painted on or the number and decal attached to a backing plate that is attached to the forward half of the vessel so that the number is visible from each side of the vessel.
If the watercraft already has Virginia registration numbers (used watercraft), in most instances those same numbers will be reassigned to the new owner. The Virginia registration number assigned to a watercraft should never be removed from the watercraft unless DWR assigns new numbers to the vessel.
Title, registration, and license plates for watercraft trailers are purchased through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Check with DMV for rules and regulations regarding trailers.
