How to register a boat in West Virginia
Title and register before you operate
Register a motorboat with the DMV before you put it on West Virginia public waters. A newly purchased motorboat is both titled and registered at the same time, so complete the paperwork promptly after purchase rather than waiting for the season to start.
Complete the DMV-MB-6 application
The core form is the Application for a Certificate of Title for a Motor Boat (DMV-MB-6). File it with proof of ownership — a manufacturer's statement of origin (MSO) for a new boat, or a properly assigned existing title or notarized bill of sale for a used boat — plus the Hull Identification Number and a photo ID.
Submit at a DMV office or by mail
Bring the completed application and documents to any WV DMV regional office, or mail them to the DMV in Charleston (P.O. Box 17710, Charleston, WV 25317). West Virginia charges 6% state sales/privilege tax on the purchase price (a notarized bill of sale is required when the price is well below book value), plus the title and registration fees.
Display your WV number and decals
You receive a Certificate of Number (registration card), a Certificate of Title, and validation decals. The registration number — formatted "WV 1234 AB" — must be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the bow in block characters at least three inches high, in a color that contrasts with the hull. Place the current validation decal on each side within six inches of, and in line with, the registration number, and keep the Certificate of Number aboard.
West Virginia registration fees
West Virginia charges a flat title fee plus a registration fee set by the boat's length class (the DMV's Y1A/Y11/Y12/Y13 classes, with breaks at 16, 26, and 40 feet) covering the state's full three-year cycle; register partway through a cycle and the fee is prorated down to the shared expiration date. On top of the title and registration fees, expect 6% sales/privilege tax on the purchase price and, at renewal, county personal-property tax that varies by locality.
The WV DMV publishes the current title fee and per-length-class registration amounts (including prorated mid-cycle figures) on its Motorboats page and fee schedule — confirm the exact totals there before you pay, since the DMV updates them independently of this guide.
Titling in West Virginia
West Virginia titles motorboats. Any motorized vessel — including a sailboat fitted with a motor — that was purchased by the current owner after July 1, 1989 must be titled through the DMV, and the title is issued alongside the registration. Non-motorized craft are neither titled nor registered.
The exception is a federally documented vessel: because the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is the ownership record, West Virginia does not issue a state title for a documented boat. Documentation does not, however, exempt the vessel from state registration — a Coast Guard–documented boat kept or used on West Virginia waters still must be registered with the DMV. This is the classic "documented but not titled" arrangement explained in state registration vs USCG documentation.
HIN requirements
West Virginia records the Hull Identification Number (HIN) when it titles a motorboat, and the DMV-MB-6 application asks for it. For a boat built after 1972 the HIN is the 12-character code the manufacturer stamped or molded into the hull, and it must be transcribed accurately onto the title and Certificate of Number.
If you are titling an out-of-state or older boat whose paperwork shows a missing, partial, or unreadable HIN, the DMV will want the hull number verified before it issues a West Virginia title. In practice that verification and the enforcement of hull-number rules on the water fall to DNR conservation (natural resources police) officers.
Homemade vessels and boats that never carried a manufacturer HIN are assigned a state HIN through the titling process so the boat has a permanent, traceable identifier. Before you file, decode any existing hull number with the HIN decoder to confirm the manufacturer and model year match the ownership documents you are submitting.
Renewal
West Virginia vessel registrations run on a single statewide three-year cycle. Every registration begins April 1 and expires at the end of March 31 in the final year shown on the Certificate of Number and decals, regardless of when in the cycle you first register — so a boat registered mid-cycle is prorated and still expires on the shared March 31 date. Renew before that date to keep the boat legal to operate, and notify the DMV Commissioner within 15 days if the vessel is destroyed or abandoned or if your address changes.
Exemptions
Non-motorized vessels — canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and paddlecraft with no motor — are exempt from West Virginia registration and titling. A motorboat under 3 horsepower or 70 pounds of thrust, and publicly owned government vessels, generally register at no fee or fall outside the fee requirement. A boat validly registered in another state may be operated on West Virginia waters for up to 60 consecutive days before it must be registered in West Virginia. Federally documented vessels are exempt from state titling but not from registration — a documented boat used on West Virginia waters must still be registered with the DMV.
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia title boats?
Yes. West Virginia issues a certificate of title for motorized vessels — including motor-equipped sailboats — that were purchased by the current owner after July 1, 1989. The title is handled by the DMV and issued together with the registration. Non-motorized craft are neither titled nor registered, and a Coast Guard–documented vessel is registered but not state-titled.
Do I still have to register my boat in West Virginia if it is Coast Guard documented?
Yes. Federal documentation makes the Coast Guard's Certificate of Documentation your proof of ownership, so West Virginia does not issue a state title, but the boat is not exempt from registration. A documented vessel used on West Virginia waters must still be registered with the DMV.
How much does it cost to register a boat in West Virginia?
You pay a flat title fee plus a registration fee set by the boat's length class — the breaks fall at 16, 26, and 40 feet — covering the full three-year cycle, prorated if you register mid-cycle. Sales/privilege tax of 6% applies to the purchase, and counties add personal-property tax at renewal. Check the current per-class amounts on the WV DMV's motorboat fee schedule.
When does my West Virginia boat registration expire?
On March 31. West Virginia uses one statewide three-year cycle that begins April 1 and always expires at the end of March 31 in the final year shown on your Certificate of Number and decals, no matter when during the cycle you first registered.
Can I use my out-of-state boat in West Virginia without registering it here?
For up to 60 consecutive days. A vessel validly registered in another state may operate on West Virginia public waters for as long as 60 days before it has to be registered with the West Virginia DMV.
Primary sources
Last verified .
- WV DMV — Motorboats (titling and registration) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- WV DMV — Application for a Certificate of Title for a Motor Boat (DMV-MB-6) (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- WV DNR — A Synopsis of West Virginia Boating Rules and Laws (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- West Virginia Code §20-7-12 — Numbering/registration of motorboats (retrieved 2026-07-16)
- Boat-Ed — Other Facts About Titling and Registering Your Vessel (West Virginia) (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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