| The Lake County Tax Collector, as an agent
for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV),
provides the service of titling and registering your boats/vessels.
Operators of motorized boats/vessels that wish to navigate
Florida waters must have the boat/vessel registered, titled,
and be issued a decal. The decal is to be affixed to the port
(left) side of the boat/vessel before or after the Florida
(FL) number.
Numbering:
The Florida registration number (FL number) issued to a
boat/vessel is permanent and remains with the boat/vessel
as long as it is operated or stored in this state, even though
its ownership may change.
The registration number issued to an undocumented boat/vessel
is to be painted or permanently attached to both sides of
the bow (forward half) of the boat/vessel and must be in block
letters and numerals at least three inches high. The registration
number must read from left to right, must contrast in color
with the hull and be maintained in legible condition.
The prefix and suffix must be separated from the numerals
by a space equal to the width of the digits, i.e., FL 0001
AB.
Obtaining a Florida Boat/Vessel Title:
We recommend that any transfer of title transactions be
completed in one of our branch
locations. To avoid unforeseen complications,
it is recommended that sellers and purchasers be present in
our office at the time of the transaction. Sellers will have
the reassurance of knowing that the transfer is complete and
they no longer have any liability for the boat/vessel. Purchasers
have the reassurance that a title was issued in their names.
If it is not convenient for both the seller and purchaser
to visit our office together, please contact our Customer
Information Center, at (352) 343-9602, for information relating
to your specific needs to successfully accomplish the transfer
of ownership.
Application with a Florida Title:
Most boats/vessels registered in Florida have a Florida
title. To transfer a Florida title, the seller and purchaser
must complete the “Transfer of Title by Seller Section”
in full. This section must include the purchaser’s name,
selling price, date of sale, signature and printed name of
the seller(s) and purchaser(s). Signatures are not required
to be notarized in this section, even if there is a labeled
place.
Proof of sales tax paid or proof of exemption must be provided.
If not, we must collect sales tax when processing the title
application. For additional sales tax information, click
here.
For more title transfer information, please click
here.
Application with a Manufacturer’s Certificate
of Origin (MCO):
An MCO is the original documentation (best described as
the birth certificate) for a brand new boat/vessel. Florida
Statutes require anyone selling a new boat/vessel in the State
of Florida provide the purchaser with an MCO. The selling
dealer must complete this document indicating the purchaser(s)
name(s). The dealer reassignment section must be completed
in full.
Should there be an area in this section for notarization,
it must be properly executed. There are some circumstances
when a notary is not required; however, we recommend completion
of the notary.
Proof of sales tax paid or proof of exemption must be provided.
If not, we must collect sales tax when processing the title
application. For additional sales tax information, click
here.
Some states do not require MCO’s for new boats/vessels.
Should you purchase a new boat/vessel from an out of state
business and not receive an MCO, please contact our Customer
Information Center at (352) 343-9602 for information.
For additional information regarding MCO’s, click
here.
Application with an Out of State Title or Registration:
Boats/vessels with proof of ownership from another state
will have varying documentation requirements. A title is required
from those states that issue titles for boats/vessels. Should
there be a transfer of ownership involved with an out of state
boat/vessel, the transfer section of the title must be properly
executed.
We recommend that customers with boats/vessels involving
a transaction from a non-title state, contact our Customer
Information Center at (352) 343-9602 to address your specific
needs.
Proof of sales tax paid or proof of exemption must be provided.
If not, we must collect sales tax when processing the title
application. For additional sales tax information, click
here.
- For additional Boat/Vessel Facts, click
here.
- For answers to Frequently Asked Questions, please click
here.
- For more out of state title information, click
here.
- For information on boats/vessels exempt from title requirements,
click
here.
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