How to register a boat in Louisiana
Register before you operate on public waters
A motorized vessel (plus any sailboat 12 feet or longer and non-motorized houseboat) must be registered with LDWF before it is used on Louisiana public waters. New owners should apply promptly after purchase, and the sales/use tax must be paid within 90 days of the purchase date to keep the statutory tax cap — so do not let the paperwork sit.
Choose how to apply — in person, by mail, or online
You can apply in person at LDWF Headquarters, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge (8 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday), or by mail to LDWF, Attn: Boat Registration/Boat and Motor Title Application, PO Box 14796, Baton Rouge, LA 70898. Renewals and many new registrations can also be done online at boat.wlf.la.gov, which adds a handling fee.
Bring proof of ownership and the tax certification
Acceptable proof of ownership includes a notarized bill of sale, a manufacturer's statement of origin (MSO) for a new boat, an out-of-state title or registration assigned to you, or a copy of the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation in the applicant's name for a documented vessel. You also complete Form R-1331 (Boat Registration Tax Payment Certification), which the Department of Revenue and the parish taxing authority must certify before LDWF will register the boat.
Pay the fees and receive your card, number, and decals
Pay the three-year registration fee for your boat's length bracket (plus a $26 title fee if the boat is being titled, and a $25 inspection fee if one is required). LDWF issues a registration card that must be carried aboard, a permanent registration number in the format LA-XXXX-XX, and two validation decals. The number must be painted on or firmly attached to both sides of the forward half of the vessel, with the decals affixed per LDWF spec — except on a documented vessel, which displays its name and hailing port instead of a bow number.
Louisiana registration fees
Louisiana sets the registration fee by boat length, and the fee covers a full three-year registration period rather than a single year. The brackets below are the LDWF registration fees; a title (when required) adds a $26 title fee, a required HIN inspection adds $25, and online transactions add a handling fee.
| Class | Vessel length | Base fee |
|---|---|---|
| Bracket 1 | Less than 16 ft | $36 |
| Bracket 2 | 16 ft to less than 26 ft | $57 |
| Bracket 3 | 26 ft to less than 40 ft | $78 |
| Bracket 4 | 40 ft and over | $99 |
Three-year registration fees. Separately, Louisiana state sales/use tax (5% as of January 1, 2025) plus applicable local tax is due on the purchase, collected via Form R-1331 before LDWF registers the boat; the combined state-and-local tax on a boat is capped at $20,000 when paid within 90 days of purchase. Confirm current amounts on the LDWF Boat Registration/Boat and Motor Title Application or by calling LDWF at (225) 765-2898.
Titling in Louisiana
Louisiana titling is optional for most boats — this is a real difference from car titling. A boat or an outboard motor of 25 horsepower or more must be titled only when it is financed (a lienholder is involved), is already titled in Louisiana or another state, is homemade, or has an incorrect HIN. Absent one of those conditions, you can register a boat without ever titling it. When a title is issued, it is the legal ownership record and the fee is $26.
A federally documented vessel is handled differently again: the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is the ownership record, so Louisiana does not issue a state title for it — but a documented vessel used on Louisiana waters still must be registered with LDWF (using a copy of the Certificate of Documentation in the owner's name as proof of ownership). This is the classic "documented but not state-titled" arrangement explained in state registration vs USCG documentation.
HIN requirements
Every boat manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must carry a 12-character Hull Identification Number (HIN), normally molded into the starboard side of the transom within two inches of the top. Boats built before that date predate the requirement and often have no HIN. Louisiana records the HIN on the registration and title exactly as it appears on the hull.
LDWF does not assign HINs — those come from the manufacturer — but the state does issue the permanent LA-XXXX-XX registration number that stays with the boat through changes of ownership until the registration is canceled. A homemade boat, or a boat whose HIN is missing or incorrect, must be inspected by LDWF (a $25 inspection fee, by appointment) before it can be titled and registered, and for a homemade hull you must bring the original receipts showing tax was paid on the building materials.
Before you file, decode any existing hull number with the HIN decoder to confirm the manufacturer and model year match the bill of sale and out-of-state paperwork — a mismatch is exactly what triggers the inspection requirement.
Renewal
Louisiana boat registrations are valid for three years from the date they are issued. LDWF mails a renewal notice, and you renew within 60 days of the expiration date — online at boat.wlf.la.gov, by mail, or in person in Baton Rouge. Louisiana does not charge a late fee for a delayed renewal, but an expired registration is not valid for operating on public waters.
Exemptions
Human-powered craft with no motor — canoes, kayaks, pirogues, and similar — do not require registration, and a sailboat under 12 feet with no mechanical propulsion is likewise exempt (a sailboat 12 feet or longer, or any sailboat with a motor, must register). A federally documented vessel is not state-titled but is not exempt from registration: if it is used on Louisiana waters it still must be registered with LDWF. Out-of-state visitors get a reciprocity window — a boat with a valid registration from another state may operate on Louisiana waters for up to 90 consecutive days before it must be registered here; a boat whose primary use is in Louisiana must be registered in Louisiana regardless of where the owner lives.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Louisiana boat registration good for?
Three years. Louisiana issues boat registrations for a full three-year period rather than annually, and LDWF mails a renewal notice ahead of the expiration date. You renew within 60 days of expiration online, by mail, or in person — there is no late fee, but you cannot legally operate on public waters once it has expired.
Does Louisiana require a title for a boat?
Not for most boats. Titling is optional in Louisiana unless the boat (or an outboard motor of 25 horsepower or more) is financed, already titled in Louisiana or another state, homemade, or has an incorrect HIN — in those cases a title is required, and the title fee is $26. Otherwise you can register the boat without titling it.
Do I have to register a USCG-documented boat in Louisiana?
Yes. A federally documented vessel is not issued a Louisiana state title — the Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is the ownership record — but it still must be registered with LDWF if it is used on Louisiana waters. You register it using a copy of the Certificate of Documentation in your name, and it displays its documented name and hailing port rather than an LA bow number.
How much does it cost to register a boat in Louisiana?
The registration fee is based on length and covers three years: $36 for a boat under 16 feet, $57 for 16 to under 26 feet, $78 for 26 to under 40 feet, and $99 for 40 feet and over. On top of that, a title (when required) is $26, a HIN inspection is $25 if needed, and state sales/use tax of 5% plus local tax is due on the purchase.
What happens if my boat has no HIN or a wrong one?
A homemade boat, or a boat with a missing or incorrect Hull Identification Number, must be inspected by LDWF — a $25 inspection by appointment — before it can be titled and registered. LDWF does not assign a HIN (those come from the manufacturer), but it issues the permanent LA-XXXX-XX registration number; for a homemade hull you also bring the receipts showing tax was paid on the building materials.
Primary sources
Last verified .
- LDWF — Title or Register Your Boat (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- LDWF — Boat Title and Registration FAQ (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- LDWF Licensing — How Much Are Boat Registration/Renewal Fees? (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- LDWF — Boat Registration and Boat/Motor Title Application (form + fees) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — Watercraft Sales Tax (Form R-1331, 5% rate, $20,000 cap) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- LDWF — Boat Registration Renewal (online) (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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