How to register a boat in Montana
Title and register within 40 days of a sale
A new owner must apply for the title, registration, and decals within 40 days of the transfer at the county treasurer's office in the county where the owner resides. If you operate the boat during that window, keep the county-issued temporary registration permit on board. On a private sale the seller signs the back of the Certificate of Ownership before a county treasurer, deputy, or notary.
Bring proof of ownership and boat details
File an Application for Vessel Certificate of Title (Form MV1A) with proof of ownership — a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin for a new boat, or a bill of sale and the signed prior title for a used one — plus a HIN inspection certificate where one is required. Everything is transacted at the county treasurer, who collects the one-time fees.
Get an AIS inspection before you launch
Separate from registration, every watercraft entering Montana must be inspected for aquatic invasive species before launching and must stop at all open inspection stations. Nonresidents launching in Montana must buy a Vessel AIS Prevention Pass — $30 for motorized craft, $10 for non-motorized — which expires December 31. Anglers also carry the Angler AIS Prevention Pass sold with a fishing license.
Display your number and permanent decal
Display the identifying number — format "MT" plus digits plus letters, separated by a space or hyphen — on each outboard side of the forward half of the hull in block characters at least 3 inches tall, contrasting with the hull, with no other numbers on the bow. The white permanent registration decal goes on the port bow, 3 inches aft of and in line with the number. As of 2026 Montana no longer requires the old orange validation decals.
Montana registration fees
Montana boat registration is permanent — a one-time fee set by length, paid once to the county treasurer, with no annual renewal. The fee is length-based only (the age-of-boat schedule in the same statute applies to cars and motorhomes, not boats). A Certificate of Ownership (title) is $10.
| Class | Vessel length | Base fee |
|---|---|---|
| Motorboat / PWC / motorized pontoon under 16 ft; sailboat 12 to under 16 ft | Under 16 ft | $65.50 |
| Motorboat / motorized pontoon / sailboat 16 to under 19 ft; PWC 16 ft and over | 16 ft to <19 ft | $125.50 |
| Motorboat / motorized pontoon / sailboat 19 ft and over | 19 ft and over | $295.50 |
One-time (permanent) registration fees under MCA 61-3-321(10), plus the $10 title, paid to the county treasurer. Nonresidents launching in Montana also owe the Vessel AIS Prevention Pass ($30 motorized / $10 non-motorized). Confirm current amounts with the MVD or your county treasurer.
Titling in Montana
Montana titles boats: the Motor Vehicle Division issues a Certificate of Ownership for any motorboat and for any sailboat 12 feet or longer, and the $10 title is obtained through the county treasurer. Manually propelled boats and non-motorized sailboats under 12 feet are neither titled nor registered.
For a federally documented vessel, Montana law follows the federal system: the owner must notify the Department of Justice within 60 days after a motorboat becomes documented as a vessel of the United States, at which point the state certificate of number terminates — so a documented vessel carries its federal documentation rather than a Montana number. Montana's published guidance does not spell out the titling or fee treatment of documented vessels in detail, so confirm the specifics with the MVD or county treasurer; the general relationship between the two records is covered in state registration vs USCG documentation.
HIN requirements
Manufactured boats carry a 12-character Hull Identification Number, normally in the upper-right corner of the transom — decode it with the HIN decoder to confirm the manufacturer and model year before you title.
For a homemade boat, or a boat built before 1972 with no HIN, that must be registered, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks issues a state-assigned HIN. You obtain it from any FWP regional or area office for a $5 application fee, permanently affix the assigned number, and have the boat inspected by a peace officer before you complete titling and registration at the county treasurer.
Renewal
There is no annual renewal in Montana. Motorboats, personal watercraft, motorized pontoons, and sailboats 12 feet and longer are permanently registered with a single one-time fee, and the permanent white decal is valid for as long as you own the boat. The only recurring deadline is the 40-day window to re-title and re-register after a purchase or transfer, with a county-issued temporary permit covering operation in the meantime. Note that Montana dropped the old three-year orange validation decal requirement after that program's final cycle expired; the MVD website's lingering "expires every three years" language for validation decals is outdated.
Exemptions
Non-motorized sailboats under 12 feet and all manually propelled boats — canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rafts, and paddleboards — are exempt from registration and taxation regardless of length (adding a motor makes any of them a "motorboat" that must be registered). Also exempt: a vessel's lifeboat, government-owned boats, dealer inventory, and properly registered out-of-state or foreign boats present in Montana 90 consecutive days or less. Note that AIS obligations still apply broadly — even exempt non-motorized craft must stop at inspection stations, and nonresidents still owe the non-motorized AIS Prevention Pass.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to renew my boat registration every year in Montana?
No. Montana boats are permanently registered with a single one-time, length-based fee. The permanent decal lasts as long as you own the boat — there is no annual renewal. The only deadline is the 40-day window to re-register after you buy or transfer a boat.
How much does it cost to register a boat in Montana?
It is a one-time fee by length: $65.50 under 16 feet, $125.50 from 16 to under 19 feet, and $295.50 at 19 feet and over, plus a $10 title. You pay it once at the county treasurer, not every year.
Do I need to register my kayak or canoe in Montana?
No. Manually propelled boats are exempt regardless of length, and so are non-motorized sailboats under 12 feet. Add any motor and it becomes a motorboat that must be titled and registered. Out-of-state paddlers still owe the $10 non-motorized AIS Prevention Pass and must stop at inspection stations.
Do I still need the orange validation decal?
No. Montana no longer requires validation decals — only the bow number and the permanent white registration decal are needed. The old three-year orange-decal program ended, though the MVD website still shows outdated decal language.
My homemade boat has no HIN — what do I do?
Get a state-assigned HIN from any Fish, Wildlife & Parks regional or area office for a $5 fee, permanently affix it, and have the boat inspected by a peace officer. Then complete titling and registration at your county treasurer.
Primary sources
Last verified .
- Montana MVD — Watercraft registration (fees, title, decal) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Montana FWP — Boating rules & regulations (who must register, exemptions, HIN, AIS) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- MCA 61-3-321 — One-time (permanent) watercraft registration fee (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- MCA 23-2-512 — Identifying number, 40-day transfer, documented-vessel notification (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Montana FWP — Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass (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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