How can I register boat with no papers?

[frantically relaxing]

Is there a serial number on it? If not, don't worry about it..

If so, call a cop- your town or city cops, the Sheriff, whatever. Tell them you have a boat you want to register and you need it checked out. They will come to you, take yours and the boat's info, run the S/N to see if it's stolen or what, if it's clean they'll give you an affidavit or whatever it may be that you can take to your DMV so they can issue you a regstration, and title if it's needed.

 

[NYBo]

Is there a serial number on it? If not, don't worry about it..

If so, call a cop- your town or city cops, the Sheriff, whatever. Tell them you have a boat you want to register and you need it checked out. They will come to you, take yours and the boat's info, run the S/N to see if it's stolen or what, if it's clean they'll give you an affidavit or whatever it may be that you can take to your DMV so they can issue you a regstration, and title if it's needed.

It doesn't work that way in New York.

 

[rolmops]

There is a way,but it is a bit round about.
There are a few states in the country that do not require registration of motor vessels. I do not remember from the top of my head which ones. Anyway, get yourself a bill of sale with the boat serial number on it that has the address of one of these states ,bring it to the dmv and register your newly acquired boat. Just make sure that it was never registered in NYS because if it was you might end up in deep doodoo.
Another way is talking to a marina owner. They often end up with abandoned boats for whatever reason. The marina owners have ways to make them legally theirs so they can be auctioned off.

 

[jbcurt00]

Fellas

Unless you've actually registered an unregistered boat IN NEW YORK, USA try to refrain from giving irrelevant advice as GA mentioned yesterday

Otherwise it isn't helping

It isn't an abandoned boat
It isn't a failure to pay storage seizure

Both of which are typical marina forfeiture ownership transfer methods

So any input from a New York resident (past or current) that registered an unregistered boat?

 

[JimS123]

There are a few states in the country that do not require registration of motor vessels.... get yourself a bill of sale with the boat serial number on it that has the address of one of these states ,bring it to the dmv and register your newly acquired boat.

Just to repeat what has already been said....NY requires a previous reg AND a BOS. The idea above won't work.

 

[NYBo]

There has to be a different process when the boat has never been registered, as is the case here. The OP needs the advice of the DMV.

 

[JimS123]

So any input from a New York resident (past or current) that registered an unregistered boat?

Yes, I already gave that input. A boat that is truly homemade can be registered, but not without proof of purchase of the components used to manufacture it.

For a brand new "new" boat, it should come from the manufacturer with a Certificate of Origin. That's what the dealer would use to register it the first time.

The OP should buy a paddle and make due until he can save the money to upgrade to a boat that has papers, or use the saved money to pay the fine, whichever comes first.

 

[tpenfield]

Go register it in NH, then transfer the reg. to NY.

 

[Scott Danforth]

as Bondo stated above, in NYS, a boat without papers is a yard planter

 

[Old Ironmaker]

There has to be a different process when the boat has never been registered, as is the case here. The OP needs the advice of the DMV.

That would be too easy. Why anyone would ask on a forum before they ask the DMV is beyond me. I'm not saying the OP is guilty of this but I find more and more folks go to a forum for legal issues, not just here, and ask questions before they have gone out and tried to have them answered by the authorities, like NY State DMV. Google can be your friend.

2 rules I try and stick to, no legal advice or medical advice from forums either asking or offering.

 

[JimS123]

That would be too easy. Why anyone would ask on a forum before they ask the DMV is beyond me. /QUOTE]

That really makes sense, but if you read enough forums it happens everywhere. Must be nobody has a phone any more, nor a phone book to look up the DMV's number.

Now having said that, if you ever dealt with the NYS DMV you would pull your hair out. The last time I registered a boat in similar fashion to what the OP is trying to do, it took me 4 trips back and forth to the DMV. Seems that every time you go you get into a different line with a different agent and they all have a different idea about what's required.