How to File for a Title on an Abandoned Boat & Boat Motor
- 1). Examine the boat for a registration or serial number. You will need this information to file for a title. Look for the Hull Identification Number along the bow. If you don't see it there, check unexposed areas inside the boat, such as under a fitting or piece of hardware. Boat manufacturers put a duplicate HIN in these places in an effort to help identify a boat in the case of theft or vandalism. The registration number is what the DMV will use to search for the boat's owner. Check for it next to the HIN on either the port or starboard sides. Some states require the registration numbers to be placed on just one side, but others require it to be on both sides.
- 2). Notify the DMV about the boat. Provide all of the details you can get from a thorough examination of it, including where it was found, when it was found, the identification/registration numbers, and any other information you believe will help the agency to find the owner. If the boat was found on your property, and you want to keep it and get a title for it in your name, tell the DMV and fill out any necessary paperwork.
- 3). Pay for a notice in a newspaper whose circulation is in the county where the boat was found. The advertisement must run for three consecutive days and must include detailed information about the boat, where it was found and any identifying numbers. The ad also has to state that if the boat remains unclaimed for 30 days after publication of the notice, the person who placed the ad will apply for title to the boat.
- 4). Wait at least 60 days after you have notified the DMV about the boat before applying for title to it. You will have to prove that you filed the required notice and followed all of the necessary procedures in an effort to notify the owner of the boat of your intention. Pay the required fees and take possession of the boat.
