Other Facts About Registering Your Watercraft and Transferring of Ownership

Here are some additional facts about registering your watercraft and transferring of ownership.

• Registration is valid for one year and expires on December 31 of the year when it was issued.
• When a registered watercraft is sold, follow this procedure.
  • The seller must remove and destroy the watercraft’s validation stickers and notify the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) of the transfer of ownership within 10 days of the transaction.
  • The validation sticker is not transferable. The new owner must register the watercraft and pay the registration fee.
• If you transfer ownership of your watercraft and purchase a new watercraft, you may apply for a transfer registration.
  • You must turn in your old registration when you apply for the transfer.
  • The registration is valid until December 31 of the current year.
• The owner of a registered watercraft must notify the MDIFW within 10 days if:
  • He or she changes address.
  • The watercraft is stolen, recovered, destroyed, abandoned, or permanently removed from Maine.
• If you lose or destroy your registration or stickers, you must obtain a duplicate from a Registration Agent or from the MDIFW main office in Augusta.
• Larger recreational watercraft owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the USCG. Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.