Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Your Vessel’s Certificate of Number and Stickers

Requirements for vessel registration vary from state to state. In California, you must have a Certificate of Number (registration certificate), a Certificate of Ownership and registration stickers for your vessel, whether used or only moored. The only recreational vessels that do not require registration are:

• Vessels propelled manually
• Sailboards and other vessels 8 ft. or less in length propelled solely by sail
• Vessels currently registered in another state and not kept in California for more than 90 consecutive days
• Vessels documented with the United States Coast Guard
• Foreign vessels

Application to register a vessel may be made at any office of the Department of Motor Vehicles or by writing:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Processing Units
P. O. Box 942869
Sacramento, California 94269-0001

Upon receipt of the required information and fees, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will issue a Certificate of Number (registration certificate), a Certificate of Ownership, and a set of registration stickers.

This registration certificate must be on board and available for inspection by an enforcement officer whenever the vessel is in use.

The registration number and stickers must be displayed as follows:

• Number must be painted, applied as a decal or otherwise affixed to both sides of the forward half of the vessel where it can be easily read.
• Number must read from left to right and be in at least three-inch-high BLOCK letters.
• Number’s color must contrast with its background.
• Letters must be separated from the numbers by a space or hyphen. For example:
  CF 5573 JS or CF-5573-JS.
• No other numbers may be displayed in the vicinity of the registration number.
• Stickers must be affixed on both sides of the bow, three inches behind (towards the stern) and in line with the number.

PWCs are also required to display the certificate's number and registration sticker.

Other Facts About Registering Your Vessel

• A Certificate of Number is valid for two years.
• The Certificate of Ownership is your evidence of title to the vessel, and should therefore be kept in a safe place. The reverse side of the Certificate of Ownership is an application for transfer of ownership.
• Upon registration, your vessel may be subject to Use Tax based on the purchase price, if acquired out-of-state or from a private party.
• You are required to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles whenever any of the following takes place:
  • The vessel is destroyed or abandoned. Notice must be given within 15 days and be accompanied by the Certificate of Number and Certificate of Ownership.
  • The owner’s address has changed. Notice must be given within 15 days.
  • The vessel is sold. Notice must be provided within five calendar days and include the date of sale, a description of the vessel, and the name and address of the new owner.
• Larger recreational vessels, owned by U.S. citizens, may (at the option of the owner) be documented with the U.S. Coast Guard. Call the USCG’s Documentation Center at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. Documented vessels must have the vessel’s name and hailing port displayed on the stern above the waterline. (Read more about obtaining the U. S. Coast Guard's "Certificate of Documentation".)

Vessel Registration Questions?

Call the California Department of Motor Vehicles at 1-800-777-0133 or visit www.dmv.ca.gov/boatsinfo/boat.htm online.

Hull Identification Number

The Hull Identification Number (HIN) is a unique, 12-digit number, assigned by the manufacturer, to vessels built after 1972.

Hull Identification Numbers:

• Distinguish one vessel from another—the same as serial numbers distinguish one car from another
• Are engraved or stamped in the hull transom or on a metal plate permanently attached to the transom
• Should be recorded by the owner and put in a place other than the vessel in case warranty problems arise or the vessel is lost or stolen