Connecticut Boat Registration

Connecticut titles boats. Vessels of model year 2017 and newer must be titled — motorboats, and sail-only vessels of 19½ feet or longer — while boats of model year 2016 and earlier are registration-only, with no title. The title fee is $25 (a transfer is also $25), plus $10 if a lien holder is recorded.

A federally documented vessel cannot be state-titled while it is federally documented, because the Coast Guard documentation serves as the title, and it does not receive a Connecticut registration number. However, a documented vessel kept or used on Connecticut waters for more than 60 days must obtain a Connecticut Certificate of Decal (Form B-220) and display Connecticut decals. A Connecticut title becomes available only after documentation is surrendered and removal from the USCG registry is proven — the "documented instead of state-titled" arrangement explained in state registration vs USCG documentation.

Boats built after 1972 carry a hull identification number (HIN) on the upper-right corner of the transom. Connecticut does not routinely require a physical HIN inspection — one is performed only when there is a discrepancy, such as a number that does not match the paperwork.

For a homemade boat, or one whose HIN is missing, the owner files an Application for Connecticut Vessel Hull Identification Number (Form EP-BS-02) with the DEEP Boating Division in Old Lyme; DEEP assigns a state hull number with the prefix "CTZ." A state-assigned HIN typically involves a temporary registration and two DMV visits — one before mailing the HIN application to DEEP and one after DEEP endorses and returns it.

Before you register, decode any existing hull number with the HIN decoder to confirm the manufacturer and model year match your ownership paperwork.

Connecticut vessel registration is annual and every registration expires April 30 — a fixed statewide anchor, not an anniversary of purchase. Renew online, by mail, or in person; the DMV mails renewal invitations. No formal grace period is published, so operate only with a current, unexpired registration.

Manually propelled vessels — canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboards — are exempt from registration as long as no motor is attached; add even an electric trolling motor and registration is required. Non-motorized sailboats under 19½ feet are exempt. A vessel validly registered in another state or country may operate on Connecticut waters for up to 60 days before Connecticut registration is required. A federally documented vessel is not state-numbered or titled but must obtain a Certificate of Decal if kept on Connecticut waters more than 60 days. Public and government vessels and ships' lifeboats are exempt.

Separately, anyone operating a motorboat or personal watercraft on Connecticut inland waters needs an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) stamp — since October 2024 this is bought separately from registration, either as a $7 individual stamp or a $25 vessel decal, through DEEP's licensing system.