Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Boat

Here are some additional facts about titling and registering your vessel.

• Every motorboat or sailboat 10 feet in length or longer that is operating on New Mexico waters and owned by a person who lives in the state must have a title.
  • You must apply for a title within 30 days of the purchase or transfer.
  • If a vessel requires titling, the Certificate of Number will not be issued or renewed unless the boat is titled.
  • The fee for the title also includes any excise tax due on the vessel.
• Every Certificate of Number, except those issued to dealers and manufacturers, expires on December 31 of the third calendar year of its registration. The boat’s registration number will remain assigned to that boat for the life of the boat, except when a boat is transferred out of state, destroyed, or abandoned.
• The Certificate of Number is renewed every three years. Renewals must be received by MVD within 60 days after the old certificate’s expiration date. MVD does not notify owners of their certificate’s expiration automatically.
• If a vessel’s Certificate of Number or title is lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed, the owner must apply to the MVD for duplicates and pay the proper fees for duplicates.
• If ownership of the vessel changes, the new owner must file an application and receive a new Certificate of Number before the vessel can be operated.
• If a numbered vessel is destroyed, abandoned, or sold, the owner must notify MVD within 15 days. It is a good idea to remove the validation decal and numbers at that time.
• If you change your address, you must provide the MVD with the new address, the current Certificate of Number, and the proper fee. You will receive a new Certificate of Number that shows your new address, but the boat’s registration number will not change.
• Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the USCG. Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.