SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 21, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles' own pages on in.gov, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.

About this guide

Indiana boat owners deal with BMV ownership and registration records plus separate DNR boating and property-use requirements. A registration decal, a lake permit, and an operator's qualification each answer a different question.

In this guide: Identify the boat before selecting an exemption, Apply the current title rules to older boats, Follow the acquisition or relocation deadline, Build the ownership application around the hull number, Separate initial registration from annual renewal, Carry the certificate and display the issued decals, Check visitor rules without extending them by assumption, Purchase a DNR lake permit where the property requires it, Address operator qualification and safety equipment separately, Use the boat-specific storage and refund procedures, Close the records correctly when the boat changes hands, Frequently Asked Questions

Identify the boat before selecting an exemption

Indiana's watercraft registration rules generally require registration for boats used on the state's waterways, with specified exceptions. Nonmotorized canoes and rowboats are treated differently from nonmotorized sailboats, so an exemption should not be inferred merely from the absence of an engine. Record the hull identification number, propulsion, model year, and ownership history. A boat that was exempt under an older rule may face different requirements at a later transfer. Keep the boat's identity separate from its trailer: a trailer has its own vehicle paperwork and does not acquire registration simply because the watercraft riding on it has valid decals.

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Apply the current title rules to older boats

The BMV watercraft title guidance identifies removed exemptions, including older purchases, homemade boats, low original values, and later changes affecting sailboats and certain nonresident or voluntarily registered vessels. Those changes make age-based assumptions especially unreliable for a used-boat purchase. The page also explains how a seller whose boat was previously exempt can provide a bill of sale without first obtaining a title. That does not mean the buyer can ignore the current title requirement. Before paying, establish which ownership document the seller can properly provide and which application the buyer will need, rather than relying on the statement that the boat has never had a title.

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Follow the acquisition or relocation deadline

For an Indiana purchaser, the watercraft title page sets a 45-day application period. A new Indiana resident generally has 60 days from becoming a resident under the same guidance (read October 21, 2026). The new-resident instructions help coordinate the move with other Indiana credentials and vehicles. Visitor and nonresident boat rules have their own conditions, including duration and location, and should not be confused with moving permanently into Indiana. Record the actual purchase and residency dates and keep the supporting documents. A marina's seasonal slip agreement does not, by itself, establish that a particular title or registration exception applies to the owner.

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Build the ownership application around the hull number

Use the state title forms directory for the watercraft application and required supporting documents. The title guidance calls for an inspection report for an out-of-state watercraft and explains the special hull-number process where a number is missing, changed, or needed for an assembled boat. Compare the physical HIN with every bill, title, and registration before submission. A clerical difference can prevent the state from connecting the documents to the same vessel. Where ownership cannot be established through an ordinary process, examine the special ownership procedures and court-order application checklist rather than treating a handwritten bill as an automatic replacement for required title evidence.

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Separate initial registration from annual renewal

The watercraft fee schedule calculates an initial registration charge using both length and excise class, while the renewal charge uses excise class. For example, the listed length component is $18 for the 13-25-foot band, and the additional class component depends on the boat's original value (read October 21, 2026). That length figure is not the entire registration bill. Annual excise tax is a further amount based on the boat's class and age. Read the table using the manufacturer's original retail value where instructed, not the bargain price paid for an older boat. Keep the registration charge and recurring tax separately identified when reviewing an estimate.

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Carry the certificate and display the issued decals

The BMV supplies a watercraft registration certificate, assigned number, and two decals. Its display instructions require the certificate to accompany the boat in operation and describe placement of the number on both sides of the bow. Owners obtain or create the displayed number characters themselves; the BMV does not supply those number stickers. Position the issued decals according to the instructions rather than grouping every sticker on one convenient panel. Registration renewal is annual on the scheduled expiration date. Review renewal through the myBMV service guidance or a BMV branch, and confirm the address before relying on mailed registration materials for an upcoming launch.

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Check visitor rules without extending them by assumption

The registration page distinguishes an out-of-state registered vessel's general temporary use from the separate Lake Michigan docking provision. As read October 21, 2026, it lists up to 60 consecutive days for the general specified out-of-state use and up to 180 consecutive days for the described Indiana Lake Michigan docking exception. Those conditions are not a universal allowance for every visitor, location, or ownership situation. Compare them with the watercraft title rules before committing to a long storage or mooring arrangement. Maintain the existing registration and records showing the relevant dates. Splitting a trip into informal labels such as vacation and storage does not necessarily answer the state's combined-use language.

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Purchase a DNR lake permit where the property requires it

The DNR lake-permit page lists the state-managed waters requiring the additional permit and those that do not. Its annual prices are $25 for motorized watercraft and $5 for nonmotorized watercraft (read October 21, 2026). The permit is distinct from BMV registration and can apply to a canoe or kayak even when that craft is exempt from ordinary registration. DNR also gives the display location and purchase options. Identify the actual lake or property before buying and launching. A state park entrance payment, marina arrangement, or BMV decal should not be treated as proof that this separate property-use requirement has been satisfied.

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Address operator qualification and safety equipment separately

The DNR boating education and safety page connects boaters with the state's handbook and approved education resources. Registration does not establish that the person at the controls meets the applicable operator requirements. Check those requirements for the intended operator and watercraft, particularly for younger boaters or a person without a driver's license. Indiana's official life-jacket guidance requires properly sized, serviceable wearable life jackets for the people aboard and describes an additional throwable-device requirement for applicable boats. The Wear It Indiana program offers practical water-safety education. Prepare the equipment for the actual passengers rather than assuming that items left aboard by a previous owner will fit everyone.

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Use the boat-specific storage and refund procedures

Indiana's watercraft tax page describes a $12 boat excise storage tax and requires a qualifying storage contract or facility receipt identifying the boat, with no watercraft decals issued under that arrangement (read October 21, 2026). This is different from the motor-vehicle nonuse affidavit. The same boat tax guidance identifies State Form 23389 for eligible boat excise credits or refunds after specified events such as sale, total loss, or registration elsewhere. Keep the assigned title, sale document, insurer's HIN-specific statement, or new registration as applicable. Do not submit only an informal note saying the boat was unused and expect every registration charge to be refunded.

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Close the records correctly when the boat changes hands

Review the BMV's ownership-document explanation and lien release requirements before signing a sale. A loan payoff and a buyer's payment are different from a completed release and transfer. Keep legible copies showing the hull number and parties, while giving the purchaser the documents needed for the next title application. Handle any trailer through the vehicle registration process rather than adding its number casually to the boat's certificate. If a watercraft is abandoned at a marina, the special process identified on the watercraft title page must be followed; the marina's possession alone is not the same as an ordinary owner's authority to sell it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a nonmotorized sailboat receive the same Indiana registration exemption as a canoe?
Indiana expressly treats nonmotorized sailboats differently. Check the watercraft title and registration pages instead of assuming that all boats without engines are exempt.

Is the DNR lake permit included in a BMV boat registration payment?
The lake permit is a separate property-use requirement. DNR lists the waters where it is required and the applicable motorized or nonmotorized permit price.

Can I calculate the whole initial boat registration bill from its length alone?
The initial fee combines a length component with an excise-class component, and applicable boat taxes are additional. Use the state's full calculation rather than only the length row.

What identifies a stored boat for Indiana's boat excise storage tax?
The state asks for a storage-facility contract or receipt describing the boat, including its year, make, model, and HIN. The storage-tax arrangement does not produce operating decals.

Does the boat's Indiana registration cover its road trailer?
The trailer is a separate vehicle record. Review its ownership and registration independently from the watercraft's title, number, and decals.

Should a buyer accept a marina's possession as sufficient authority to sell an abandoned boat?
Indiana provides a specific abandoned-watercraft process for qualifying marina situations. The purchaser should obtain the resulting required ownership evidence, not rely solely on possession.

About this page

Written by SearchSystems.net from the Indiana BMV pages linked in each section, on in.gov and secure.in.gov, faqs.in.gov, read on October 21, 2026.

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More Indiana BMV guides

The other Indiana BMV guides, 52 of them: