Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Vessel

Here are some additional 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 28 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 (FWP) office or order them online at the FWP website.
• 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 USCG. Call the USCG's Documentation Center at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.