Displaying the Registration Number and Excise Tax Decals

The registration number and excise tax decals must be displayed as follows.

• Number must be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the vessel.
• Number must read from left to right on both sides of the bow.
• Number’s color must contrast with its background.
• Number must be in at least three-inch-high BLOCK letters.
• Letters and numbers must have spaces or hyphens that are equal to the width of a letter other than “I” or a number other than “1.”
• Number must be a single color and clearly legible.
• Excise tax decals must be affixed on both sides of the bow, to the right of and within three inches of the number.

Certain sailboats may qualify for an alternate display location for these decals.

If the number on the hull or superstructure would not be visible, it must be painted on or attached to a backing plate on each side of the forward half of the vessel.