Other Facts About Registering Your Vessel

Here are some additional facts about registering your vessel.

• The Certificate of Number is valid for one or three years, at the option of the owner.
• The owner of a registered vessel must notify the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Office of Boat Registration within 15 days if:
  • You change your address or...
  • The vessel is lost, stolen, destroyed, abandoned, or sold
• Owners of vessels registered in another state have 60 days to transfer the registration to Delaware when Delaware becomes the state of principal use.
• If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number or decal, you must apply to the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife or an authorized licensing agent for a duplicate and submit a processing fee.
• Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). (Read more about USCG's Certificate of Documentation.) Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.