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Straight Answers About Vessel Documentation, Title, Registration, and Tax
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Things You Need to Know Before We Start the Paperwork
Citizenship, 5 net tons, vessel name, hailing port, SSN/Tax ID, driver's license, sales tax — what we need from you, and why it isn't optional.
Read USCG DocumentationWhy Is My USCG Documentation Taking So Long?
Submitting an application and having an application approved are two very different things. What actually causes delay.
Read USCG DocumentationA Deficiency Can Reset the Wait
Your original filing date is retained — but answering a deficiency puts the file back into the NVDC processing queue. Plus why Satisfactions of Mortgage take so long.
Read RegistrationWhere Should My Boat Be Registered?
Your driver's license does not automatically decide where your boat belongs. Where you live and where your boat lives may be different places.
Read Sales & Use TaxFlorida Boat Sales & Use Tax
Sales tax, use tax, registration, title, and federal documentation are related but separate. Here is how they differ.
Read Sales & Use TaxBuying a Boat in Florida but Taking It Out of State?
The nonresident removal exemption: 10-day and 90-day rules, the 5 net ton decal, the 90-day extension, and the proof Florida requires afterward.
Read Private SalesBuying a Boat Without a Broker or Dealer?
Florida casual and private-party sales, and why buying from an individual does not automatically make a sale tax-free.
Read Liens & MortgagesAbstracts, Liens & Mortgages
What a USCG Abstract of Title shows, why an old mortgage can still appear, and what a release actually requires.
Read Liens & MortgagesWhy Your Paid-Off Boat Loan May Still Appear on a USCG Abstract
Paying off the loan and recording a Satisfaction of Mortgage with the NVDC are two different things — and why that matters when you sell.
Read Liens & MortgagesThe Bank on My Boat Mortgage Doesn't Exist Anymore. Now What?
Most vanished banks were acquired, merged, or renamed. How we trace the successor through the FDIC to get the Satisfaction of Mortgage.
Read RegistrationFederal Documentation Does Not Automatically Mean No State Registration
Documentation and state registration are separate systems. Florida titling exemptions, bow numbers, reciprocity, and why we ask where the boat is going.
Read RegistrationI Live in Georgia but Keep My Boat in Florida. Where Should I Register It?
Where the boat lives matters more than where you live. State of principal use, Florida's 90-day reciprocity period, documented vessels, and the tax overlap.
Read Sales & Use TaxFlorida's Boat Sales Tax Cap Explained
Florida caps the tax on the sale or use of a boat at $18,000 — county surtax included. Real-number examples, trade-ins, financing, and what the cap does not cover.
Read Private SalesPrivate Boat Sales and Outboard Motors
What a Florida private or casual sale means, why it is not automatically tax-free, and how a separately stated outboard motor value affects the taxable vessel price.
Read USCG DocumentationWhat Is a USCG Abstract of Title?
The Coast Guard's recorded history of a documented vessel — owners, bills of sale, mortgages, satisfactions, claims of lien — and why we order one before closing.
Read RegistrationBoat Title vs. Registration vs. USCG Documentation
Three systems, three documents — and why “no title exists” and “I lost my title” are two completely different situations.
Read Ownership IssuesWhy an LLC Operating Agreement Can Delay a Yacht Closing
Active status, good standing, member-managed or manager-managed — and why we need to know exactly who can sign for the company.
Read Title ProblemsWhat Happens When a Vessel HIN Doesn't Match the Title?
Typos, misread characters, and HIN inspections — and why the ownership record has to be corrected before the boat can transfer.
Read Ownership IssuesWhat Happens When a Vessel Owner Has Passed Away?
Start with a certified Death Certificate — then the manner of ownership decides who can transfer the vessel and what documents are required.
Read Ownership IssuesThe Divorce Decree Says the Boat Is Mine. Why Do I Still Need My Ex to Sign?
What a court order has to say before the NVDC will transfer documented ownership — and why a signature is usually still required.
Read Ownership IssuesThe Seller Never Put the Boat in Their Name. Now What?
When a boat has been sold several times without a single transfer being recorded, the chain of ownership has to be rebuilt from whatever paperwork still exists.
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