How to register a boat in Indiana
Title within 45 days of purchase
If your watercraft has to be titled, you must apply for a certificate of title within 45 days of the purchase or transfer date, or the BMV charges an administrative penalty. Registration and titling are usually done in the same trip. Keep your proof of purchase and the assigned title or bill of sale aboard until your new credentials arrive.
Bring proof of ownership and pay tax
Bring proof of ownership — an assigned certificate of title, a manufacturer's certificate of origin (MCO) for a new boat, or a bill of sale — plus a photo ID and proof of Indiana residency. If the boat is exempt from titling and you have no title to hand over, you can affirm ownership on a Watercraft Ownership Affidavit (State Form 55100). Indiana's 7% sales/use tax is collected on the purchase price if it was not already paid.
Pay the registration fee and boat excise tax
At registration you pay a watercraft registration fee (a length-based amount plus an excise-class amount) and the annual boat excise tax, which includes the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) fee. You can register a new boat at any BMV branch or by mail; renewals and duplicate cards can also be done online through myBMV.
Display your IN number and decals
You receive a certificate of registration, an assigned registration number, and validation/excise decals. The number is displayed as "IN 2234 AB" (spaces or hyphens between groups) in block letters at least three inches high, in a color that contrasts with the hull, painted on or firmly attached to each side of the bow and legible from 100 feet. Place the current decals within three inches of, and to the right of, the number on both sides, and remove any expired decals.
Indiana registration fees
Indiana's cost to put a boat on the water has several parts, so there is no single "registration fee by length." The watercraft registration fee is the sum of a length-based amount and an excise-class amount; on top of that, most owners pay the annual boat excise tax, which is calculated from the boat's value when new and reduced roughly 10% a year (down to a floor of about 50% of the original amount) and which folds in the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) fee. Indiana's 7% state sales/use tax applies to the purchase separately, and the certificate of title costs $15.
Because the total depends on your boat's length, its excise class (original value), and its age, Indiana does not publish a simple flat fee-by-length table. Reported figures put the length-based registration component around $15–$24 and annual excise-class renewals in the roughly $15–$60 range, but you should confirm the exact amounts for your boat with the BMV Watercraft Fees & Taxes page or your BMV branch before you pay. A boat kept in storage and not used on the water owes a flat $12 storage excise instead of the full excise tax, with a storage receipt as proof.
Titling in Indiana
Indiana does title watercraft: the BMV issues a Certificate of Watercraft Title as the ownership record for most registered boats. Several categories are exempt from titling but still register, including non-motorized craft (canoes, kayaks, rowboats) other than sailboats, boats that were valued under $3,000 when new, and boats purchased before January 1, 1986.
A federally documented vessel is the other exception. Because the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is the ownership record, Indiana does not issue a state title for a documented boat — but a documented vessel used or docked on Indiana waters still must be registered and pay the boat excise tax. This is the classic "documented but not titled" arrangement explained in state registration vs USCG documentation.
HIN requirements
Every watercraft operated on Indiana waters must carry a Hull Identification Number (HIN). For a boat built after 1972 this is the 12-character code the manufacturer stamped or attached to the hull, and it has to be recorded accurately on the title and registration.
If a boat has no HIN, was homemade or assembled, or its HIN has been altered or destroyed, the owner completes an Application for Special Identification Number – Vehicle or Watercraft (State Form 12907) so the BMV can assign a state HIN. Out-of-state, homemade, or missing-HIN boats may require a physical inspection to verify the hull number before Indiana will title them.
Before you file, decode any existing hull number with the HIN decoder to confirm the manufacturer and model year match the paperwork — a mismatch is the most common reason a watercraft title stalls at the branch.
Renewal
Indiana watercraft registration is valid for one year and must be renewed annually. Expirations are staggered — the month your registration comes due is tied to the first letter of the owner's last name — and the BMV mails a renewal notice beforehand. Renew online through myBMV, by mail, or at a branch; each year you remove the old excise/validation decals and affix the new ones in their place. The annual boat excise tax is paid at the same time as the renewal.
Exemptions
Non-motorized watercraft — canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboats — are exempt from Indiana registration, with one important carve-out: sailboats are not exempt, so a non-motorized sailboat must still be registered, display decals, and pay any excise tax. A boat registered in another state and operated, used, stored, or docked in Indiana for no more than 60 consecutive days in a calendar year is exempt from Indiana registration; the window stretches to 180 consecutive days for an out-of-state boat docked on Indiana's portion of Lake Michigan. Government-owned vessels and ship's lifeboats used solely for lifesaving are also outside the requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Do I register my boat with the BMV or the DNR in Indiana?
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) titles and registers watercraft in Indiana — you go to a BMV branch, myBMV online, or the mail, not to the DNR. The Department of Natural Resources handles on-water law enforcement and boater education, but the paperwork and fees run through the BMV.
What is the Indiana boat excise tax?
It is an annual tax most boat owners pay on top of the registration fee, collected by the BMV when you register or renew. It is based on the boat's value when new and its excise class, and it is reduced about 10% a year down to roughly half the original amount. The Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) fee, which funds water-quality and public-access work, is included in that excise payment. A boat kept in storage and not used owes a flat $12 instead.
Do kayaks and canoes need to be registered in Indiana?
No. Non-motorized canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboats are exempt from Indiana registration. The exception is sailboats: even a non-motorized sailboat must be registered and display decals. Add any motor — even a small trolling motor — to a canoe or kayak and it becomes a motorized watercraft that must be registered.
Does Indiana title boats?
Yes. The BMV issues a Certificate of Watercraft Title for most registered boats, and you must apply within 45 days of purchase or face a penalty. Boats valued under $3,000 when new, boats bought before January 1, 1986, non-motorized craft other than sailboats, and federally documented vessels are exempt from titling — though documented and exempt boats used on Indiana waters still have to be registered.
Do I have to register a USCG-documented boat in Indiana?
Indiana does not issue a state title for a federally documented vessel — the Coast Guard document is the ownership record — but if the boat is used or docked on Indiana waters it still must be registered with the BMV and pay the boat excise tax. It keeps its documented name and hailing port rather than carrying an assigned bow number.
Primary sources
Last verified .
- Indiana BMV — Watercraft Registration (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Indiana BMV — Titles for Watercraft and Non-Traditional Vehicles (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Indiana BMV — Watercraft Fees & Taxes (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Indiana Boater Education — Boat Excise Tax (Boat-Ed / DNR) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Indiana Code 6-6-11 — Boat Excise Tax (retrieved 2026-07-16)
Independent reference tool — not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Maritime Center. Vessel data is derived from public USCG sources and may lag official records; always verify with the issuing authority.
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