It's the Law: Before Going Out

All operators are required to obey laws that regulate your vessel’s registration and operation.

Registering Your Vessel

You must have a Mississippi Certificate of Number and validation decals to operate your vessel legally on public waters in Mississippi. The only exceptions are:

• Non-motorized vessels
• Vessels documented with the U.S. Coast Guard

This Certificate of Number (pocket-sized, plastic registration card) must be on board and available for inspection by an enforcement officer whenever the vessel is being operated.

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

• Number must be painted, applied as a decal, or otherwise affixed to both sides of the bow.
• Number shall read from left to right on both sides of the bow.
• Number must be in at least three-inch-high BLOCK letters.
• Number’s color must contrast with its background.
• Letters must be separated from the numbers by a space or hyphen; for example, MI 3717 ZW or MI-3717-ZW.
• No other numbers may be displayed on either side of the bow.
• Decals must be affixed on both sides of the vessel preceding the prefix letters of the registration number and within six inches of the registration number.

If your vessel requires registration, it is illegal to operate it or allow others to operate it unless it is registered and numbered as described above.

Where to Register

Registration and title application forms can be obtained from:

• www.mdwfp.com on the Internet
• Any tax collector’s office
• Many marine dealers, marinas, and bait shops
• Any Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks office
• Wherever hunting/fishing licenses are sold
• Call 1-800-560-HUNT 24 hours a day
• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

You can submit your registration application and fee to:

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks
1505 Eastover Dr.
Jackson, MS 39211-6322

Register Online

You can renew registration online at www.ms.gov/gf/boating/index.jsp.

Registration Questions?

Call the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks at 601-432-2065 or the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources at 228-523-4126.

Fees For Vessel Registration, Transfer or Renewal

Other Facts About Titling and Registration

• Effective July 1, 1998, you may choose to title your vessel and/or outboard motor; however, titling is not mandatory.
• The owner of any vessel required to be numbered has 10 days from the date of acquisition to register the vessel.
• A Certificate of Number is valid for three years from the last day of the month in which the original or transferred certificate was received. Owners of vessels that have already been registered will be sent a renewal notice to their residence without any action by the owner.
• If you change your address, you must notify the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks (MDWFP) within 15 days of the change.
• If a numbered vessel is lost, stolen, or abandoned, the owner should report it to local authorities and to the MDWFP within 15 days of such event.
• If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number or decal you must apply to the MDWFP for a duplicate and submit a processing fee.
• Vessels registered in another state may operate on Mississippi waters for 60 days before a Mississippi registration and numbering is required.
• Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. Call the USCG’s Documentation Center at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.

Buying and Selling a Vessel

The procedure for transferring ownership of a vessel is outlined here.

• The steps are essentially the same whether the “seller” is a marine dealer or the “buyer” is an individual purchasing a pre-owned vessel from an individual “seller.”
• If a registered vessel is sold or otherwise transferred to another person:
  • The “buyer” must apply for the Certificate of Number to be transferred to his or her name within 10 days from the date of purchase.
  • The “seller” is required to report such a transaction to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks.