California Department of Motor Vehicles
California boat registration
DMV registers undocumented vessels. A sailboat over eight feet, or a boat with a motor of any size, has to be registered before it is used on California water, including a private lake. A Coast Guard-documented vessel, the kind with a marine certificate, does not have to be registered with DMV.
Figures checked October 24, 2026. This is a summary of the official pages linked below, not legal advice and not a bill.
Print or fill in
Print this before you file
Free PDF
Registration prep checklist
Proof of ownership, ID, hull ID, and a blank line for the fee on the official chart. This page does not print a dollar amount for you.
Download the registration checklistFree PDF
Boat transfer checklist
Bill of sale, title versus registration versus CG-1340, the handoff, and a reminder to check your state before you file.
Download the transfer checklistSamples only. State rules vary. This is not legal advice, and it is not the form your agency may require.
Fees from the official chart
The renewal on DMV's public fee table is biennial and due in odd-numbered years. Original fees differ depending on whether the boat was sold in an even year or an odd year.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original registration, sold in an even year | $29 |
| Original registration, sold in an odd year | $49 |
| Biennial renewal, due in odd years | $20 |
| Transfer, except between dealers | $15 |
| Replacement title or registration | $15 |
DMV's public vessel table lists $29 for an original registration sold in an even year, $49 if sold in an odd year, a $20 biennial renewal, and a $15 transfer. The same page lists late penalties. A quagga and zebra mussel fee can be due on top of those lines unless the boat is exempt. DMV's agent handbook lists that mussel fee as $8 on an even-year original and $16 on an odd-year original or a renewal. Vessels used only in marine waters are exempt.
Transferring the boat
Use BOAT 101 for an original registration. DMV says the certificate-of-sale section is completed when a dealer or builder sells the boat, and when the form is used as the bill of sale. A manufacturer's certificate of origin, a factory invoice, or a sales agreement in the same names, marked paid, comes with a new boat.
The public fee table lists a $15 transfer. The agent handbook is the place that spells out the separate mussel fee and who is exempt, including boats used only in marine waters.
The national boat bill of sale and title transfer guide explains the difference between a bill of sale, a title, and a registration. File with California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Coast Guard documented boats
DMV does not register a vessel that already has a Coast Guard certificate of documentation. If you are buying a documented boat and keeping it documented, the filing is with the Coast Guard, not a CF number from DMV.
What this page does not pin down
- California use-tax rate on a private boat sale is not listed here. DMV's handbook has a use-tax section; this page does not restate it.
- Nonresident original fees differ from the resident lines above and are on the DMV fee page.
California registration questions
Where do I register a boat in California?
DMV registers undocumented vessels. A sailboat over eight feet, or a boat with a motor of any size, has to be registered before it is used on California water, including a private lake. A Coast Guard-documented vessel, the kind with a marine certificate, does not have to be registered with DMV.
How much does California boat registration cost?
DMV's public vessel table lists $29 for an original registration sold in an even year, $49 if sold in an odd year, a $20 biennial renewal, and a $15 transfer. The same page lists late penalties. A quagga and zebra mussel fee can be due on top of those lines unless the boat is exempt. DMV's agent handbook lists that mussel fee as $8 on an even-year original and $16 on an odd-year original or a renewal. Vessels used only in marine waters are exempt.
How do I transfer a boat title or registration in California?
The buyer files DMV's Application for Registration Number, Certificate of Ownership, and Certificate of Number for an Undocumented Vessel (BOAT 101). The certificate-of-sale section of that form is used as a bill of sale when it establishes the chain of ownership. DMV's public table lists a $15 transfer fee, with an $8 penalty for a late transfer. A documented boat is not registered with DMV.
Does California register a Coast Guard-documented boat?
DMV says a documented vessel has a Coast Guard marine certificate and does not have to be registered with DMV. An undocumented vessel is the one DMV registers. A brand-new boat is treated as undocumented until it is documented.
Official pages
DMV: register your boatDMV registration fees, vessel tableDMV agent handbook: vessel fees and the mussel fee
Check California harbor conditionsToday's Go or Nope callAll ten state pagesBoat bill of sale
Reviewed October 24, 2026. Source date code 2026-10-24.