Wyoming Boat Registration

Wyoming does title boats — but not through Game and Fish. Motorized watercraft must first receive a county-issued certificate of title from the county clerk (the same office that titles cars and trailers), with proof that Wyoming sales tax was paid. Only after the boat is titled does WGFD register it. Non-motorized craft — canoes, kayaks, sailboards, sailboats, and rowboats — are not titled or registered at all.

Federally documented vessels are the exception to state titling: because the U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is the ownership record, a documented vessel is not separately state-titled. It can still fall under Wyoming's requirements when used on Wyoming water — a motorized documented boat is still subject to registration, and the AIS decal requirement applies to it like any other watercraft. This is the classic split explained in state registration vs USCG documentation; confirm the current handling of a documented hull with WGFD before you launch.

Wyoming requires a valid 12-character Hull Identification Number (HIN) on every motorized boat it titles and registers. The HIN is a federal manufacturer requirement (on hulls built after 1972), while the registration 'WY' number is the state's equivalent of a license plate — the two are different identifiers and both must appear on the state registration certificate.

A boat that has never been titled in Wyoming — including out-of-state and newly purchased boats — may need a HIN inspection by a law-enforcement agency or a participating WGFD office to verify the hull number before the county will title it. Decode any existing hull number first with the HIN decoder so the manufacturer and model year on the plate match your paperwork.

If a boat has no HIN — a homemade hull or one where the number is missing — the owner applies at a local WGFD regional office and the Department assigns a state HIN beginning with 'WYZ' followed by consecutive numbers. The assigned HIN must be permanently affixed to the transom and shown on the registration certificate.

Wyoming watercraft registrations are sold for a 1-year or 3-year period and expire at the end of the day on December 31 of the final year — the last two digits on the hull validation decal show the expiration year. This is a fixed calendar-year anchor, not a birthday-based cycle. Renew online, by mail, or in person at a WGFD office. The AIS decal is separate and is always valid only for the calendar year, so it must be renewed every year even if your multi-year registration is still current.

Non-motorized craft — canoes, kayaks, sailboards, sailboats, and rowboats — are exempt from Wyoming titling and registration. They are not, however, automatically exempt from the AIS decal: a non-motorized boat still needs a current AIS decal to launch, and only non-motorized inflatables 10 feet or shorter, all paddleboards, and water-sport toys are exempt from the AIS requirement.

Out-of-state boats registered elsewhere and not kept in Wyoming beyond 90 consecutive days do not need Wyoming registration, and U.S. government vessels are exempt. Reciprocity covers registration only — any motorized or covered watercraft visiting Wyoming water must still buy the AIS decal and, from March 1 to November 30, pass an AIS inspection before launching.