I am thinking about buying a 16 foot drift boat with no motor. Is my understanding correct that
non-motorized boats need no lisencing or registering in Washington state??

However the trailer needs to be lisenced correct?

I don't think you need to register the boat as long as you don't use an internal combustion engine, the trailer does have to have a license plate and tabs though.

Interpreted from the Washington Boater's Guide-

Boats 16' and above need a license, motorized or not.
I just bought a 14' boat last year with no motor and had to license it because it had a max horsepower capacity of 35. If your boat is smaller than 16' with a maximum hp capacity that is less than 10hp you do not have to license it. A 10hp motor is the cut-off on any size boat.

Check the Coast Gaurd tag on the transom.

Hope this helps!

Check with the Washington State DOL. All boats,
any size,that have any type of motor, and are used
on any water that is patroled must be registered.

I had too register my 14' drift boat inorder to
use my electric motor.

Cigar

Cigar, I had a 12' fiberglass boat, two years ago, that had a max hp rating of 10hp and it did not have to be registered.
Both the boat length and hp rating were under the requirment for registration at the time.

I wonder if the laws have changed due to I-695??

Maybe the state is trying to nail every boat for some excise tax now, no matter what the size.

[ 01-11-2002: Message edited by: Carl Costenbader ]

On the lower Snohomish they were ticketing guys a few years ago, reason was it was "navigable" waters. Must have pretty confusing regs on this.

CAN ANYONE MAKE SENCE OF THIS??? NOTE EXCEPTION NUMBER 8

RCW 88.02.030
Exceptions from vessel registration -- Use of excess document identification fee for boating safety programs -- Rules.
Vessel registration is required under this chapter except for the following:

(1) Military or public vessels of the United States, except recreational-type public vessels;

(2) Vessels owned by a state or subdivision thereof, used principally for governmental purposes and clearly identifiable as such;

(3) Vessels either (a) registered or numbered under the laws of a country other than the United States; or (b) having a valid United States customs service cruising license issued pursuant to 19 C.F.R. Sec. 4.94. On or before the sixty-first day of use in the state, any vessel in the state under this subsection shall obtain an identification document from the department of licensing, its agents, or subagents indicating when the vessel first came into the state. At the time of any issuance of an identification document, a twenty-five dollar identification document fee shall be paid by the vessel owner to the department of licensing for the cost of providing the identification document by the department of licensing. Any moneys remaining from the fee after payment of costs shall be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.045. The department of licensing shall adopt rules to implement its duties under this subsection, including issuing and displaying the identification document and collecting the twenty-five dollar fee;

(4) Vessels that have been issued a valid number under federal law or by an approved issuing authority of the state of principal operation. However, a vessel that is validly registered in another state but that is removed to this state for principal use is subject to registration under this chapter. The issuing authority for this state shall recognize the validity of the numbers previously issued for a period of sixty days after arrival in this state;

(5) Vessels owned by a nonresident if the vessel is located upon the waters of this state exclusively for repairs, alteration, or reconstruction, or any testing related to the repair, alteration, or reconstruction conducted in this state if an employee of the repair, alteration, or construction facility is on board the vessel during any testing: PROVIDED, That any vessel owned by a nonresident is located upon the waters of this state exclusively for repairs, alteration, reconstruction, or testing for a period longer than sixty days, that the nonresident shall file an affidavit with the department of revenue verifying the vessel is located upon the waters of this state for repair, alteration, reconstruction, or testing and shall continue to file such affidavit every sixty days thereafter, while the vessel is located upon the waters of this state exclusively for repairs, alteration, reconstruction, or testing;

(6) Vessels equipped with propulsion machinery of less than ten horsepower that:

(a) Are owned by the owner of a vessel for which a valid vessel number has been issued;

(b) Display the number of that numbered vessel followed by the suffix "1" in the manner prescribed by the department; and

(c) Are used as a tender for direct transportation between that vessel and the shore and for no other purpose;

(7) Vessels under sixteen feet in overall length which have no propulsion machinery of any type or which are not used on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or on the high seas beyond the territorial seas for vessels owned in the United States and are powered by propulsion machinery of ten or less horsepower;

(8) Vessels with no propulsion machinery of any type for which the primary mode of propulsion is human power;

(9) Vessels primarily engaged in commerce which have or are required to have a valid marine document as a vessel of the United States. Commercial vessels which the department of revenue determines have the external appearance of vessels which would otherwise be required to register under this chapter, must display decals issued annually by the department of revenue that indicate the vessel's exempt status;

(10) Vessels primarily engaged in commerce which are owned by a resident of a country other than the United States; and

(11) On and after January 1, 1998, vessels owned by a nonresident individual brought into the state for his or her use or enjoyment while temporarily within the state for not more than six months in any continuous twelve-month period, unless the vessel is used in conducting a nontransitory business activity within the state. However, the vessel must have been issued a valid number under federal law or by an approved issuing authority of the state of principal operation. On or before the sixty-first day of use in the state, any vessel temporarily in the state under this subsection shall obtain an identification document from the department of licensing, its agents, or subagents indicating when the vessel first came into the state. An identification document shall be valid for a period of two months. At the time of any issuance of an identification document, a twenty-five dollar identification document fee shall be paid by the vessel owner to the department of licensing for the cost of providing the identification document by the department of licensing. Any moneys remaining from the fee after payment of costs shall be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.045. The department of licensing shall adopt rules to implement its duties under this subsection, including issuing and displaying the identification document and collecting the twenty-five dollar fee.


[1998 c 198 § 1; 1997 c 83 § 1; 1991 c 339 § 30. Prior: 1989 c 393 § 13; 1989 c 102 § 1; 1985 c 452 § 1; 1984 c 250 § 2; 1983 2nd ex.s. c 3 § 44; 1983 c 7 § 16.]

NOTES:


Effective date -- 1998 c 198: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [March 27, 1998]." [1998 c 198 § 2.]


Effective date -- 1985 c 452: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1985." [1985 c 452 § 2.]


Construction -- Severability -- Effective dates -- 1983 2nd ex.s. c 3: See notes following RCW 82.04.255.

Commission to adopt rules: RCW 79A.60.595.Partial exemption from ad valorem taxes of ships and vessels exempt from excise tax under RCW 88.02.030(9): RCW 84.36.080.

Also anything put in the salt even a canoe has to be loicensed.Something about being fedral waters or some such nonsence.

Rob-
What you have regarding motors is correct. If you not going to use any form of a motor on the boat that you do not need to register it, just the trailer. I can guarentee you that is the law...

But I thought you wanted to put a kicker on there for backtrolling plugs...

It all depends on what the COAST GAURD tag says on the transom. As soon as you purchase a boat (new) they will have the appropriate paper work ready for you to fill out.

Check the transom tag!

when i bought a 9.9 for my 12 foot aluminum last year i called whitfields in monroe and they told me i didnt need license or registration, then while humpy fishing on snohomish in 2001 the gamies stopped me and asked why it wasnt registered so i told em what whitfield said and that was that no prob
mike

Take a look at every driftboat you see in the river. If we all had them registered, we'd have those big ugly number/letter stickers plastered on the bows.
All the driftboats now have a transom rating on them. It should be on the metal plate that says what the passanger maximum is. If the boat is 16 feet or larger, AND you put the motor on it, you have to have it registered. Adding the motor is key to the requirement.
If you're still *really* unsure, take the boat and the motor to a USCG station and they'll make it perfectly clear ( heh heh heh ).
I'd take a copy of those regs listed above, and if someone tried to tell you that you have to register it, I'd ask them to point out which line says it's required, because a driftboat is not required to be, period.
diana
Good fishing

I just bought a 12' jonboat in Dec. It has a max 10hp. I had to register it with the state, but as long as I dont put an internal combustion engine on it, there is no need to licence it each year, which is what the colored stickers are for.

It looks like to me you got all the advice you need on whether to register or not. But a quick tip in case you or others do put the registration
numbers on your boat: You have to leave a space between the letters and the numbers.
i.e. WA 984222 IX, NOT: WA984222IX. I know this sounds incredibly petty, but I had a full boat inspection on the water by the Coast Guard last year while fishing near Neah Bay. They actually showed me the state regs requiring the space, then wrote me a warning ticket for it. I was just a random inspection that day and everything else in my boat was perfect, plus I was fully cooperative so they had no reason to get nit-picky. To this day I can't believe they would be that petty. They even told me they keep a record of the warning citation & should I be checked again and it wasn't corrected I would get a full citation! I was glad the CG was out there working to ensure mine & others safety, but it sure seems they have better things to enforce than registration spaces.

The USCG is nit-picky in Neah Bay because so much dope from Canada is coming over by boats. If you are 'importing' and they talk to you long enough, you'll start acting suspicious. They're just looking out for our children. And a few goofey fisherman.
diana

ynotfish, your boat needs a license. EVERY boat with ANY kind of propulsion other than human needs a license except yacht tenders with less than 10hp. At least that is how I read it.

You want right-from-the-horses-mouth-answers? Pay eight bucks and go to the BOAT SHOW! There will be tons of boating info for you there. The Coast Gaurd usually has a booth with lots of helpful info.

See Ya There.