DMV: Beat The Rush To Register Your Boat

Summer is starting. Boaters can enjoy the open waters of Long Island Sound. They can troll for fish on ponds. They can motor a pontoon boat or use a jet ski around the lake.

They can also avoid waiting in line at the state Department of Motor Vehicles. By going now to get a new registration or any needed assistance for a renewal, boat owners can avoid the pre-July 4 rush to have vessels ready for the holiday.

At the beginning of this traditional start of summer vacations, many boaters suddenly remember they forgot to satisfy the legal registration requirement with the Department of Motor Vehicles. They hurry to DMV offices where the registrations are done and can meet a slow moving line packed with others who also forgot or procrastinated.

“It’s nice outside and who wants to be inside waiting to register their boat or watercraft. I urge anyone who has the opportunity get that task done early,” said DMV Commissioner Melody A. Currey in a press release.

DMV sends boat owners by mid-March notices of renewals due by April 30. If they do not register the boat for a year, they will not receive another renewal notice and they must go to a DMV office to renew the registration. First-time registrations of vessels must also be done at the DMV office.

Frequently Asked Questions about boat and other watercraft registrations can be found at http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?Q=253552   Connecticut law requires that all jet skis, boats with motors, regardless of size, and sailboats powered by sail alone, 19 1/2 feet or longer in length, be registered and numbered before launching. If someone purchases a boat that is currently registered, it must be re-registered in the name of the new owner.

All vessels must be registered with the DMV (ct.gov/dmv). Evidence of ownership must be submitted at the time of registration. Upon receipt of the application and fee, an identification number will be assigned and a certificate of number/registration will be issued along with two validation decals. Connecticut vessel numbers stay with the boat as long as it is registered in the state.

Need to get your boat ready? Check out these places in New London: