Fill Out Boat Bill of Sale Online

What is a boat bill of sale

A boat bill of sale is the transaction record for a vessel changing hands between private parties. States commonly ask for one when the new owner registers or titles the boat, and it establishes the purchase price used to calculate any sales or use tax. For the seller, the signed document proves the boat, and the liability that follows it, transferred on a specific date.

Boats differ from cars in one important way: depending on the state and the size of the vessel, the boat may be titled, registered, or both, and the motor and trailer can have their own separate paperwork. A good bill of sale describes each component so nothing is left ambiguous.

What to include in a boat bill of sale

The template provides labeled blanks for each part of the transaction.

• Seller and buyer names and addresses.
• Vessel details: year, make, model, length, hull material, color, and the hull identification number (HIN).
• The state title or registration number, if the vessel has one.
• Motor details: make, model, year, horsepower, and serial number, with a checkbox for whether the motor is included.
• Trailer details: make, year, VIN or serial number, and plate, with its own included checkbox.
• Any included equipment, such as electronics, anchors, covers, or safety gear.
• Sale price, payment method, payment status, and as-is or warranty terms.
• Signatures from both parties and an optional notary acknowledgment.

How to fill out the boat bill of sale template

Open the template in the Universal PDF editor and start with the vessel section. Copy the HIN from the transom plate or the manufacturer's plaque, not from an old registration card, and double-check every character. If the boat carries a current state registration number, record it along with the issuing state.

Work through the motor and trailer sections next, checking the included or not included box on each. An outboard motor has its own serial number, and a trailer has its own VIN, so record both; buyers often need the trailer VIN to register it for the road. List any electronics or gear included in the deal, then complete the price and payment section and download the PDF for printing and signatures.

Motor, trailer, and equipment

Treating the motor and trailer as separate line items is what prevents the classic boat-sale dispute. If the listing said "boat with trailer" but the paperwork never mentioned the trailer, the buyer may find they cannot register it, or the seller may claim it was never part of the deal. The template's checkboxes make the scope of the sale explicit either way.

The same logic applies to equipment. Fish finders, GPS units, trolling motors, anchors, and safety gear add up, and a one-line list of what stays with the boat removes any argument about what the price covered.

Signing, notarization, and registration

Both parties sign and date the document, and each keeps a fully signed copy. The notary acknowledgment at the end is optional in most states, but a handful require a notarized bill of sale to title or register a vessel, so check with your state's boating or motor vehicle agency before closing without it.

After the sale, the buyer registers or titles the vessel in their own name and registers the trailer separately where required. The seller should cancel or transfer insurance and notify the state of the sale where the state provides for it. Until the registration changes over, the paperwork trail in the bill of sale is what shows who owned the boat on any given date.