Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of Boating
Your Vessel’s Certificate of Number and Decals

Requirements for vessel registration vary from state to state. In Texas, you must have a Texas Certificate of Number (registration card) and validation decals to operate your vessel legally on public waters. The only exceptions are:

• A sailboat under 14 feet in length
• Non-motorized vessels such as canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and rubber rafts
• Vessels registered in other states and using Texas waters for 90 consecutive days or less

Validation Decals

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 must 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:
  TX 3717 ZW or TX-3717-ZW.
• No other numbers may be displayed on either side of the bow.
• Decals must be affixed on both sides of the bow, three inches behind (towards the stern) and in line with the number.

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

Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Vessel

• You must obtain a title for all outboard motors, just as you would for a vessel. Battery-operated trolling motors are an exception.
• A Certificate of Number is valid for two years. You will receive a renewal notice about three months prior to the expiration date. The expiration date is on the certificate and the decals.
• If you have changed your address within those two years, you must call or write Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 15 days of your change of address in order to get your renewal notice.
• If you abandon or destroy your vessel, you must report it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 15 days and surrender your Certificate of Number and your title if applicable.
• If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number, you must complete a “duplicate form” and submit a processing fee to get a replacement.
• To apply for a Certificate of Number and decals for a homemade vessel, you must submit the following, in addition to completed application forms and title fees:
  • An affidavit regarding the origin of the vessel and receipts for the materials used in its construction
  • Proof of an inspection and certification by a Texas game warden
• Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. (Read more about obtaining the U. S. Coast Guard's Certificate of Documentation.) Documented vessels also must be registered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Call Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at 1-800-262-8755 for more information.

Hull Identification Number

The Hull Identification Number (HIN) is a unique, 12-digit or 17-digit number assigned by the manufacturer to vessels built after 1972.

Hull Identification Numbers:

• Distinguish one vessel from another—the same as serial numbers distinguish one car from another.
• Are engraved in the fiberglass or on a metal plate permanently attached to the transom.

You should write down your HIN and put it in a place separate from your vessel in case warranty problems arise or your vessel is stolen.

Both the 12-digit and 17-digit HIN provide the information shown above. The 17-digit HIN also gives the length of the vessel, the hull material, the type of propulsion, the type of hull, and a "check digit."