Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Your Vessel’s Registration

• Requirements for vessel registration vary from state to state. In Wisconsin, you must have a Wisconsin Certificate of Number (registration) and validation decals to legally operate a recreational vessel. Exceptions to the requirement to register a recreational vessel include:
  • Sailboards and sailboats 12 feet of length or less and not equipped with a motor
  • Manually-propelled vessels not equipped with a motor or sail
  • Vessels properly registered in another state and using Wisconsin waters for less than 60 consecutive days
  • Vessels documented with the U.S. Coast Guard
• If your vessel requires registration, it is illegal to operate or allow others to operate your vessel unless it is registered and numbered.
• Registration application forms are available at Department of Natural Resources field offices, marinas and county clerks offices. You may also renew your registration online at www.boat.wisconsin.gov.
• After registering a vessel, an owner will receive a Certificate of Number (registration card) that must be available for law enforcement inspection whenever the vessel is operated.
• Registration is valid for three years, beginning on April 1 and expiring on March 31 at the end of each three-year period. No vessel may be operated after March 31 without renewing the registration.
• If a Certificate of Number is lost or destroyed, the vessel owner must apply to the Department of Natural Resources to replace it with a duplicate Certificate of Number.
• The owner of a registered vessel must notify the Department of Natural Resources within 15 days of the following events:
  • The owner changes his or her address
  • The owner transfers all or any part of his or her interest in the vessel
  • The vessel is destroyed or abandoned
• Larger recreational vessels, owned by U.S. citizens, may also (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. (Read more about obtaining the U. S. Coast Guard’s Certificate of Documentation.)

Displaying the Assigned Number and Validation Decals

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

• Number must be placed on each side of the forward half of the vessel.
• Number must read from left to right on one line, displayed as two capital letters—“WS”—followed by a two-inch space or a hyphen and four digits followed by a 2-inch space or hyphen and two capital letters. For example: WS 1234 AB or WS-1234-AB
• The decals must be affixed three inches behind (toward the stern) the registration number.
• Letters and numerals must be BLOCK figures at least three inches high, of a color that contrasts with its background.

PWCs are also required to display the registration number and validation decals.

Your Vessel’s Title

• Only vessels 16 feet or more in length require a Certificate of Title.
• First-time owners may obtain a title from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Registration Questions? Call Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at 1-608-266-2621 or visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resourses website.

Hull Identification Number

• The Hull Identification Number (HIN) is a unique, 12-digit number, assigned by the manufacturer.
• 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
  • 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
• All vessels built after November 1, 1972, including home-made boats, must have a Hull Identification Number (HIN). The HIN is required by federal law and it must appear on the registration application.
• If a vessel has no HIN, or if the manufacturer’s HIN has been removed, obliterated or altered, the condition must be noted in the application for Certificate of Title and the state will assign a HIN to the vessel.