Basic Facts on Vessel Registration and Titling
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What Vessels Must be Registered?
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What is Vessel Registration?
- The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is legally responsible for Vessel Registration in North Carolina. Vessel Registration is a system of record-keeping and identification for all motorized vessels and large sailboats operated on North Carolina public waters. Registration helps the Commission's Enforcement Division protect vessel owners against theft and against irresponsible actions by other vessel operators.
- Registration puts a vessel owner's name, address, and vessel description into the records of the Wildlife Commission. In turn, the Commission issues a Registration Number to identify the vessel; a Registration Decal to indicate when the term of registration expires; and a Registration Card which names the owner and describes the vessel.
- There are three categories of vessel registrations – "civilian", "dealer", and "public agency". Approximately 98% of registrations are civilian, 1% are dealer, and 1% are public agencies.
- Registration Numbers always have three parts. The first part is two letters that identify the state, for example, "NC" for North Carolina. The second part is four digits. The third part is one or two letters. An example civilian Registration Number is "NC-0000-AB".
- Special Registration Numbers are set aside for boat dealers and public agencies. Dealers are issued numbers of form "NC-0000-X", where the third part is always the letter "X". Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and rescue squads, are issued Registration Numbers of form "NC-0000-P", where the third part is always the letter "P".
- The wallet-size Registration Card must always be carried aboard the vessel when operating it, and shown to Wildlife Enforcement Officers when they request it.
- The stick-on Registration Decal is affixed on the starboard bow of the vessel to the right of the Registration Number and shows the month and year when the registration expires. See How to Affix a Decal.
- Once a Registration Number is associated with a vessel, it normally remains with that vessel across multiple owners. Even if the vessel is moved and registered out-of-state, the original North Carolina Registration Number is reserved, and is re-assigned to that same vessel if it should ever be moved back to North Carolina.
- For civilian and dealer vessels, the term of registration is either one year or three years. Two months before the expiration of the term, the Wildlife Commission mails a Renewal Notification to the vessel owner at the latest known address. The vessel owner can obtain one-year or three-year vessel registrations by mail, by visiting the NCWRC office located at 1751 Varsity Drive, NCSU Centennial Campus, Raleigh, NC 27606-2576 (see map and directions - pdf), OR by using a Visa or MasterCard online with information from your renewal notice. Three-year registrations can also be obtained by visiting a Wildlife Service Agent. Upon renewal, a new Registration Card and Decal are issued to the owner [Note: If the renewal is done at an agent, the owner will receive a temporary registration. The temporary registration can be used to operate the vessel until the registration card and decal are mailed from the Raleigh Office after all paperwork has been received from the Agent and verified for accuracy. This applies to renewals, duplicates, new registrations and transfer registrations.].
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What Vessels Must be Registered?
- All motorized vessels used on public waters must be registered, including jet skis.
- All sailboats used on public waters must be registered if longer than 14 feet at the load waterline.
- If a vessel registered in another state is brought into North Carolina for over 90 consecutive days, the registration must be transferred to North Carolina.
- If you choose to title your vessel, it must be registered as well.
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What Vessels Do Not Need Registration?
- Vessels that are unused and kept on dry land do not need registration in North Carolina.
- Rowboats, canoes, and rafts moved only by oars, paddles, or the current do not need registration in North Carolina.
- A vessel used only on a private pond does not need registration in North Carolina.
- Vessels Documented with the U.S. Coast Guard do not need to be registered in North Carolina.
- Ship's lifeboats or dinghies do not need to be registered if they are used only for emergency lifeboat purposes. However, if they are motorized and used for non-emergency purposes, they do require registration.
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What is Vessel Titling?
- The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is legally responsible for Vessel Titling in North Carolina. Vessel Titling is a record-keeping system that provides ownership protection to vessel owners, going beyond the Vessel Registration system. It also protects the interests of financial institutions or individuals that provide loans on vessels. Lenders often require that a vessel be titled as a condition for granting a loan.
- The Wildlife Commission keeps computerized records on all titled vessels, and issues Title Certificates which document the owner of a vessel and any liens that lenders choose to record on the Title Certificate. Although it is possible to record a vessel lien with a Uniform Commercial Code filing, most lenders choose to record it on the vessel's Title Certificate.
- A title is available to any North Carolina vessel owner, provided that the vessel is registered in North Carolina; is not simultaneously titled in any other state; and is not Documented with the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time of applying for a North Carolina title, any existing out-of-state title must be surrendered to the Wildlife Service Agent or mailed to the Wildlife Commission.
- Titling adds the owner's name, address, and vessel description to the records of the Wildlife Commission. It also records the names and addresses of lienholders against the vessel.
- The Commission issues a Title Certificate which is held by the primary lienholder, if there is one, or otherwise, by the vessel owner.
- Unlike vessel registration, which has a one-year or three-year term, a Title Certificate remains in force for as long as a person owns a vessel.
- If a Title is issued showing a lienholder, when the associated loan is paid off the lienholder should sign and notarize the Title Certificate to release the lien, and then mail the Title Certificate to the vessel owner.
- When an owner desires to sell a titled vessel, the "Assignment of Title" section of the Title Certificate is filled out. The purchaser is named, the owner signs the form and has the signature notarized. The Title Certificate is then given to the purchaser. The purchaser, the boat dealer, or the Wildlife Service Agent must turn in the previous owner's Title Certificate to the Wildlife Commission to apply for transfer of ownership. This must be done even if the title is from another state.
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What Vessels Must be Titled?
- Anyone who purchases or transfers a motorized vessel or sailboat 14 feet or longer or who owns a personal watercraft (jet ski), will be required to title the vessel effective Jan.1, 2007. In most cases, lenders require a title as a condition for granting a loan on a vessel.
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Where to Register and Title Vessels in North Carolina
- Although many vessel transactions are conducted by mail, you have the option of conducting them with over 400 Wildlife Service Agents statewide, or by visiting the NCWRC office located at 1751 Varsity Drive, NCSU Centennial Campus, Raleigh, NC 27606-2576 (see map and directions - pdf). To obtain information on the location of the Wildlife Service Agent nearest to you, or for any other reason, please call 1-800-628-3773.
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