Registering your boat, float bube, kayak, or pontoon boat.

So as some of you know I picked up a 10'10" x 5'5" inflatable raft, minn kota motor and marine battery to use up in the Sierras and local lakes to get my dad on the water more and away form the crazies fishing on shore. My main problem was registering the boat do I have to and how do I. After talking to the guys at West Marine and finding a few websites I got my answer... yes I do have to register it.

Main guide lines are if it is sail powered, motor powered or over 8' long you have register it.

Here are a few sites that will hopefully help if you need to register a water craft.

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Vagabond wrote:So as some of you know I picked up a 10'10" x 5'5" inflatable raft, minn kota motor and marine battery to use up in the Sierras and local lakes to get my dad on the water more and away form the crazies fishing on shore. My main problem was registering the boat do I have to and how do I. After talking to the guys at West Marine and finding a few websites I got my answer... yes I do have to register it.

Main guide lines are if it is sail powered, motor powered or over 8' long you have register it.

Here are a few sites that will hopefully help if you need to register a water craft.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Don't forget this part:
"Exemption

Inflatable boats that move through the use of oars or paddles are not required to register with the DMV."

Hey bud good to see ya here.

Yeah inflatables useing oar or paddle power are exempt as long as they are under 8 feet.

Vagabond wrote:Hey bud good to see ya here.

Yeah inflatables useing oar or paddle power are exempt as long as they are under 8 feet.

hi

Nope, I repeat:
"Exemption

Inflatable boats that move through the use of oars or paddles are not required to register with the DMV."

The exemption does not mention length, just the exemption

NulodPBall wrote:

Vagabond wrote:Hey bud good to see ya here.

Yeah inflatables useing oar or paddle power are exempt as long as they are under 8 feet.

hi

Nope, I repeat:
"Exemption

Inflatable boats that move through the use of oars or paddles are not required to register with the DMV."

The exemption does not mention length, just the exemption

But once you put any type of motor on it it must be registered!!

hmmm let me see if I can find the details again, it might have been in the pamplet I read at West Marine but there was some stupid thing about if it's over 8' it has to be registered no matter what powers it... possibly only if taken in goverment regulated waters.

Put a motor on a tire inner tube and you have to register it, state wants every dollar they can get out of you! I bet if I carried a battery and straped a motor to my back I'd have to register myself.

Vagabond wrote:hmmm let me see if I can find the details again, it might have been in the pamplet I read at West Marine but there was some stupid thing about if it's over 8' it has to be registered no matter what powers it... possibly only if taken in goverment regulated waters.

Put a motor on a tire inner tube and you have to register it, state wants every dollar they can get out of you! I bet if I carried a battery and straped a motor to my back I'd have to register myself.

The link to the DMV site is:
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The exemption stands,
no length requirement if paddle powered.
Think about all the 18ft long kayaks out there...all without CF numbers.

The phrase that you are remembering references sail powered vessels.

Got it all registered today finally, actually pretty easy since the paper work is straight foreward and I got someone who knew what they were doing at DMV. But geez my appointment was for 11:30 and I didn't even get helped till 12:30 and out of there till 12:50.

Now to get all my numbers mounted onto it so I don't look like a drug runner boat.

thats the main reason I have never botherd with any kind of motor on my pontoon, I dont mind rowing it and I dont have to regester it

Yeah after going through all this I am debating either just using the same numbers for my Kayak if I put the motor on it or registering it seperately on it's own. I have two trolling motors now, that Mercury I got at the fishing swap meet and a new Minn Kota I got at Sports Chalet.