Displaying the Registration Number and Validation Decals

The registration number and registration decals must be displayed as follows.

• Number must be painted, applied as a decal, or otherwise affixed to the forward half of each side of the vessel, placed to be clearly visible.
• Number must read from left to right on both sides of the bow.
• Number must be in at least three-inch-high, bold, vertical, BLOCK characters.
• Number’s color must contrast sharply with its background.
• Letters must be separated from the numbers by a space or hyphen: WN 3717 ZW or WN-3717-ZW.
• No other numbers may be displayed on either side of the bow.
• Current year decals only must be affixed on each side of the bow, toward the stern of the registration number and in line with the number.

Personal watercraft also are required to display the registration number decals.