What Happens When You Lose the Title or Registration for a Boat?

What Happens When You Lose The Title Or Registration For A Boat?

Losing a title can be annoying, problematic, and in some cases, illegal. The most aggravating is when you buy a boat but lose the title before registering into your name. It’s like it walked away and no matter how much you call for it, it’s not coming back.

You searched every nook and cranny possible for days and still yet – no title has appeared. Waiting months or years for the previous owner to get a duplicate title isn’t fun for either party. In most cases, the old owner eventually goes ghost because they’re tired of dealing with the situation. 

It seems like a nightmare… How can you get a new title for your boat? Is it possible to get a boat titled in your name without the original title? Questions like these, and more, can plague your mind. Luckily, you found us. We have the answers you’re looking for, and more, below.

Summary

When you lose a title or registration, it’s usually not until the document is long gone that you realize it pulled a disappearing act. By now it’s too late to retrace your steps and there’s no way to contact the previous owner for help. If you take the boat out without proof of ownership and an up to date registration, that could cause major legal issues, leaving your boat without a captain.

This could be you.

How to replace a lost boat title or registration

The state you live in determines what documentation is required to operate a boat on the water, and in some cases, what’s required to pull your boat on the trailer. Depending where you live you could be subject to registering both the boat and trailer. This can prove challenging if you don’t have a title for one or the other.

Going to the DMV can be a long, tedious process that doesn’t even guarantee you’ll be able to get a title. There’s forms you have to sign or get signed, and in some cases, you have to hunt down the last titled owner to get a duplicate title. We all know how that goes… you spend days, weeks, or months searching for the individual you bought the boat from just for them to ghost you or BS until you become exhausted from trying. 

The amount of headache continues to grow until it isn’t worth it and the next thing you know the boat becomes a glorified yard ornament. As hopeless as it seems, there’s a simple solution that few people are aware of. Keep reading to learn how to title or register your boat without a title or registration.

What causes someone to lose a title?

Moved Homes: Staying organized can prove difficult when moving, especially if you have a lot of belongings. Even if you take safety measures to prevent important documents being lost, there’s always a chance of something happening. Moving can result in a misplaced or lost title that leaves you stressing about being unable to use the boat you just bought.

Disaster Strikes: No one can be 100% prepared for natural disasters like a hurricane, tornado, or fires. When you have to evacuate, the first items you think to snatch are usually of sentimental value. A family photo, your kids, or the dog are a few examples of what you think to bring in an emergency. Replaceable items are likely not as high on your radar. These situations result in a misplaced, or fully destroyed, title and registration. Losing your title isn’t an issue if the ownership is already transferred to you, but can be a major problem if the transfer hasn’t begun.

Life Happens: Take all precaution you want – at the end of the day, life happens whether we like it or not. Putting your documents somewhere for safekeeping is what we all tend to do. The only trouble with this is when you lose one… you lose them all. This makes for a stressful time and can raise many questions.

How can I avoid this?

When you buy a new boat, make it a priority to transfer the title and registration into your name. By doing this, you will be able to easily get a duplicate document when you lose the title or registration. The DMV is no fun to spend hours at, but it’s a small price to pay in order to drive your boat legally on waterways.

Why does this matter?

Transferring the registration to your name in the required amount of time prevents you from having to pay additional fees. Not to mention the sense of peace that comes from being fully legal on open waters. This can be you - read on to find out how!

Your boat is beached without the proper documents.

Why you should transfer ownership to your name immediately

Lost titles are tedious and time consuming to replace, especially if the boat ownership hasn’t been transferred to you. Here’s just a few situations we’ve encountered so you can avoid their mistakes.

Frank Fumbled

He’s always in a hurry, almost too much for his own good sometimes. When he bought a new 25ft sailboat the title was the last thing on his mind. Instead of making sure the ownership was transferred into his name before her maiden voyage, he put the title aside and focused on delivering to the marina. A week later he was ready to visit the Clerk's office to register the boat when his title seemed to have disappeared. Now he’s at a standoff… The boat is ready to sail, but without registration he would be taking a big risk by operating it without registration in his name. 

How can I avoid that? Always take the ownership documents for your vessel to register as soon as you receive them. This can help you prevent dealing with the same issues Frank is facing. By transferring the boat ownership immediately, you also will avoid the fees and taxes that usually accumulate past 30 days of the purchase date. When this isn’t possible, try to keep the registration in a safe place until you’re ready.

Mark Lost it All

Mark knew fishing season was right around the corner and this bass tracker was too good of a deal to miss out on. Mark pulled the cash out and picked up his new boat on the same day. On his drive back home, work let him know he had to go out of town for the next couple weeks. He decided to leave the new boat in his garage for safe keeping, unaware the side door was unlocked when he left. Upon returning from out of town, Mark is ready to register the boat in his name, only to discover the unlocked door led to his bass boat going missing. To make matters even worse, he left the unsigned title and registration in the glove compartment on his watercraft. Without a title or registration, there’s no way to prove the boat was stolen. Mark now has a long road ahead to recover the boat and prove his ownership.

How can I avoid that? If you can’t register your boat immediately, it’s important to separate the boat and its documents. Separating the documents from your boat makes it more difficult for thieves to title into their name and increases the likelihood of finding your vessel. Keep the documents locked in a safe or stored somewhere you’ll remember if you have to wait before transferring them into your name. Otherwise you could face the same nightmare Mark is in.

With our help, you could be fishing from your boat instead of filing paperwork.

Victor Wasn’t Prepared

Buying a boat usually isn’t a bad decision, but when you’re planning to move, a new craft doesn’t make things easier. Victor couldn’t wait any longer. Especially with such a deal on an almost brand new Axis! After picking it up from the seller, he decided to garage it at his new house. He knew better than to leave the registration and title in the boat until it’s transferred into his name, so Victor decided to keep them safe with him at his old house. As the move came to an end Victor began having time for his hobbies and remembered he needed to register his boat. His appointment with the clerk is set, all he needs are the boat documents… that are nowhere to be found.

How can I avoid that? Victor knew when he purchased the vessel - immediately transferring the registration into his name is imperative to avoid needless stress, worry, and potential legal prosecution. Even stowing away his documents until a later date caused issues because he wasn’t particular in remembering where they’re stored. Victor now has to figure out how to register his boat with zero proof to verify he owns it. There’s a solution few know - let’s hope Victor is informed too.

Ken From Kentucky

He’s been building a private jet ski park for the last 2 years, and today is the first time a PWC (personal watercraft) has christened the waters of his new personal facility. Since his new skis are specifically for this compound, he paid no mind to registering and titling them into his name. A few weeks later, getting ready to ride with the boys, Ken took out his registered ski to make sure all worked properly. After a lap his injectors began to act up from sitting unused so long. He doesn’t have any spares and none of the other skis are legal to operate on state waters… Ken begins to debate whether to risk it for the biscuit and ride with an unregistered ski or play it safe, stay home, and order parts for next time.

How can I avoid that? Even planning to never use the skis on public water isn’t an excuse to skip transferring the registration and ownership into your name. The last thing Ken expected was having to take his home compound skis on public waters, but sometimes surprises are unavoidable. The best way to plan is for the unexpected. Not only will this help Ken in future emergency situations, but it will also aid when it comes time to sell the craft.

Jealous yet?

How to Protect Yourself from Similar Situations

When buying a boat, always take into consideration the operation requirements for ownership and registration.

• Be timely – Register your boat as soon as you purchase it. Delaying can be easy, but your future self will thank you.

• Be humble – It’s easy to assume “that couldn’t be me, I’ll keep track of my paperwork.” Life gets hectic, but it will save you time, money, and work to register now.

• Be proactive – Taking action now ensures the boat is titled in your name indefinitely. Even if you lose the new title, it’s much easier to obtain a duplicate than going through the titling process without a title.

Dirt Legal Can Help – We Can Fix It!

Tracking down the previous owner can be a chore, if not near impossible. The last thing you want to deal with is a scavenger hunt just to transfer the ownership of your new boat into your name. The professionals at Dirt Legal know exactly what is required to title and register your boat, even if your DMV has told you it’s impossible. 

We have close relationships with the state DMV’s we work with, allowing the process to be smooth and painless for you, with minimal legwork. Instead of waiting endlessly for a “maybe” – trust the experts to eliminate stress and wasted time, ensuring you have time to spend on the important things like hitting the water, instead of staring at a white brick wall for the next 8 hours. 

Whether you bought a JetSki for weekend fun or a new sailboat to explore the islands, Dirt Legal has the resources and expertise to retrieve your new ownership documents in a timely manner. Whatever questions you have, or worries that remain unresolved – you can contact us anytime, day or night, HERE with a short message explaining your current situation.

If you’re tired of talk and ready for action – simply purchase the Vessel Titling Service today to begin transferring ownership into your name!