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

Requirements for vessel registration vary from state to state. In Montana, vessel owners must obtain a certificate of ownership (title) and certificate of number (boat registration and payment receipt) that lists the vessel’s registration, decal, hull, and title numbers. Related fees are paid to the county treasurer in the county where the owner resides. The only exceptions are:

• Non-motorized sailboats less than 12 feet long and all manually-propelled vessels
• Vessels registered in other states using Montana waters for 90 consecutive days or less
• Vessels documented with the U.S. Coast Guard

The registration number, registration decal, and validation decals must be displayed as follows:

• Number must be painted on or attached to each outboard side of the bow (forward half) of the vessel.
• Number must read from left to right on both sides of the vessel.
• Number must be in at least three-inch-high, vertical BLOCK letters.
• Number’s color must contrast sharply with its background.
• Number must be as high above the water line as practical and still be visible.
• Letters must be separated from the numbers by hyphens or spaces; for example: MT-234-ABC or MT 234 ABC.
• The permanent registration decal must be securely attached to the left or port side of the vessel. The decal must be spaced three inches aft (rearward) and directly in line with the vessel number displayed on the left side of the vessel.
• The two validation decals must be securely attached on each side of the vessel. One decal must be attached immediately aft (rearward) of the registration decal on the left (port) side and one immediately after the identifying number on the right (starboard) side of the vessel.
• No numbers or letters may be displayed on the bow of the vessel.

If your vessel requires registration, it is illegal to operate it or allow others to operate your vessel unless it is registered and numbered as described above.

PWCs are also required to display the certificate’s number, registration decal, and validation decals.

Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Vessel

• All vessels that require registration must also be titled in Montana. You must apply for a title within 40 days of the purchase or transfer.
• Validation decals are in effect for 3-year periods and expire on February 29 of the last year of the period.
• New boat owners can title, register, and obtain the permanent registration and validation decals from their local county treasurer’s office.
• Boat owners who have already received their permanent registration decal can obtain the free validation decals from their local Fish, Wildlife & Parks office or order them online at the FWP website at www.fwp.mt.gov
• The owner of a numbered vessel must notify the county treasurer within a reasonable amount of time if:
  • He or she changes address.
  • The vessel is lost, stolen, destroyed, abandoned, or sold.
• Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may, at the option of the owner, be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. Call the USCG’s Documentation Center at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. (Read more about obtaining the U.S. Coast Guard’s Certificate of Documentation.)

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 in the fiberglass or on a metal plate permanently attached to the transom

You should write down your HIN and put it in a place separate from your vessel in case warranty problems arise or your vessel is stolen.

Owners of homemade vessels may obtain a HIN for a $5 fee by contacting any Fish, Wildlife & Parks office.