# How to register a raft in Utah



## dsrtrat (May 29, 2011)

Go to the DMV website and fill out the form for a boat registration. You will have to take the boat to the DMV office for a serial number check and pay the fees and taxes. They will issue a hull number. The motor is not required to be registered in your HP range. I made placards that I hang on the bow (both sides) to display the hull numbers. Carry the registration papers with you as well and the required safety equipment. While you are at it take the DNR mussel aware online course that is good for a year in case you are asked for the paperwork. It's required for all watercraft in Utah. If it floats, it's a boat in Utah.


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## foreigner (10 mo ago)

I don't think inflatables need to be registered in Utah unless they've got a motor over 25hp


https://dmv.utah.gov/vehicles/boats-watercraft


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## Bill Bones (Nov 26, 2020)

foreigner said:


> I don't think inflatables need to be registered in Utah unless they've got a motor over 25hp
> 
> 
> https://dmv.utah.gov/vehicles/boats-watercraft


I see what you're seeing there, and it looks like they're drawing a distinction between registration and titling. Which is confusing. From what I can tell an inflatable with a motor under 25HP is exempt from titling requirements but not from registration?


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## foreigner (10 mo ago)

I read it the same way. I guess you do need to register it if it has a motor. 

If you find out specifics on your trip to the DMV, please let us know.


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## Village Lightsmith (Jul 14, 2021)

Regarding "rules and registrations":
"If I would build a wall, I first would ask what I was walling in or walling out."
Something there is that cannot stand freedom, especially in others, 
and those people should _never_ be given the awesome Power of The State.


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## hooligan shmulligan (Jan 31, 2020)

Village Lightsmith said:


> Regarding "rules and registrations":
> "If I would build a wall, I first would ask what I was walling in or walling out."
> Something there is that cannot stand freedom, especially in others,
> and those people should _never_ be given the awesome Power of The State.


Have you suffered a stroke or just have a traumatic head injury?


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## dsrtrat (May 29, 2011)

Sure, don't register your watercraft, but don't complain when you are being written a ticket on Cataract. As the ranger will say, tell it to the judge. I have been checked more than once on Cataract as well as at the ramp at Green River.


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## jonas_f (May 31, 2007)

What these people talk’n bout getting a ticket for not registering thier boat while on the green river…

bruh…


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## tBatt (May 18, 2020)

dsrtrat said:


> Go to the DMV website and fill out the form for a boat registration. You will have to take the boat to the DMV office for a serial number check and pay the fees and taxes. They will issue a hull number. The motor is not required to be registered in your HP range. I made placards that I hang on the bow (both sides) to display the hull numbers. Carry the registration papers with you as well and the required safety equipment. While you are at it take the DNR mussel aware online course that is good for a year in case you are asked for the paperwork. It's required for all watercraft in Utah. If it floats, it's a boat in Utah.


I did all of this.
Everything was checked Utah Lake State Park, Cat, Deso, and Westwater.
Running a 5hp. 
If it has a motor, it needs to be registered.


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## M_I_M (Aug 22, 2015)

I registered my boat a few years ago so I could run a motor on Cat. The only difference with my experience compared to the above is that I did not have to take my boat to the DMV. I brought my original paperwork from Maravia showing it as a 15' inflatable which included the serial number and told them I was going to run a 5hp motor attached to a transom. They took my money and issued me a hull number and registration stickers.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

For those reading this thread I’d like to add that this process only applies if you are a Utah resident. Reading it I can see how someone would think that if they want to float a Utah run they have to go threw Utah to register.

To clarify:
If you are a Utah resident and you are adding a motor to your boat you MUST register your boat threw Utah.

If you are not a Utah resident you must register your boat threw your home state.

Once your boat is registered You can float your boat in Utah with no issues.


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

westwatercuban said:


> For those reading this thread I’d like to add that this process only applies if you are a Utah resident. Reading it I can see how someone would think that if they want to float a Utah run they have to go threw Utah to register.
> 
> To clarify:
> If you are a Utah resident and you are adding a motor to your boat you MUST register your boat threw Utah.
> ...


You also need to bring along the necessary motor boat accessories like fire extinguisher, horn, boat tags, paperwork, etc.


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## Bill Bones (Nov 26, 2020)

Wow, went down to the DMV with boat in tow and it was _way_ more painful than anticipated. They wouldn’t come out and look at it, they wouldn’t accept the serial number as a VIN, they offered to have the police come inspect it, there was talk of it taking 30-90 days to assign a VIN, and on it went. I’m not usually the guy who has a problem at the DMV, but in this case I had to politely walk out. Did you guys have to present a bill of sale or receipt, by the way? I haven’t hung on to that stuff unfortunately.


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## Will Amette (Jan 28, 2017)

Bill Bones said:


> Wow, went down to the DMV with boat in tow and it was _way_ more painful than anticipated. They wouldn’t come out and look at it, they wouldn’t accept the serial number as a VIN, they offered to have the police come inspect it, there was talk of it taking 30-90 days to assign a VIN, and on it went. I’m not usually the guy who has a problem at the DMV, but in this case I had to politely walk out. Did you guys have to present a bill of sale or receipt, by the way? I haven’t hung on to that stuff unfortunately.


Boats don't have VINs. They have HINs (hull identification numbers). A part of the HIN are the serial number. Other parts are model year, date of manufacture, and manufacturer. When I built a kayak, I had to apply for an HIN that I had to put in two places on the boat. Your raft has an HIN in two places too. Sorry the person you were dealing with wasn't all there that day.


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## dsrtrat (May 29, 2011)

In my area you make make an appointment with the DMV office. One of the action items on the appointment schedule is a number check. You can also have a law enforcement officer verify the information. Check with your local police department. I had to have a my trailer VIN verified when changing to a Utah registration from another state. As Will stated you aren't getting a VIN just a hull number. The Utah DMV website should have the info you need in the FAQ's. I had no problem getting mine in Washington county.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

caverdan said:


> You also need to bring along the necessary motor boat accessories like fire extinguisher, horn, boat tags, paperwork, etc.


YES!! so many people forget! This is huge.



Bill Bones said:


> Wow, went down to the DMV with boat in tow and it was _way_ more painful than anticipated. They wouldn’t come out and look at it, they wouldn’t accept the serial number as a VIN, they offered to have the police come inspect it, there was talk of it taking 30-90 days to assign a VIN, and on it went. I’m not usually the guy who has a problem at the DMV, but in this case I had to politely walk out. Did you guys have to present a bill of sale or receipt, by the way? I haven’t hung on to that stuff unfortunately.


Do you have any friends in Colorado? If you do, have them register it or use their address.

I literally just registered my boat for the season and it was smooth as glass. Didn’t have a title or bill of sale. I do have a title for the trailer, but not the boat. They didn’t ask nor cared. Took the boat to highline state park. Went into the visitor center. Walked out with a parks officer that filled out paperwork, paid and was in my way..sucks Utah has this all tied up with the dmv.


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## WhyGuy (Aug 17, 2021)

Bill Bones said:


> Wow, went down to the DMV with boat in tow and it was _way_ more painful than anticipated. They wouldn’t come out and look at it, they wouldn’t accept the serial number as a VIN, they offered to have the police come inspect it, there was talk of it taking 30-90 days to assign a VIN, and on it went. I’m not usually the guy who has a problem at the DMV, but in this case I had to politely walk out. Did you guys have to present a bill of sale or receipt, by the way? I haven’t hung on to that stuff unfortunately.


Titles and registrations are two different processes; this is similar to your car title and registration. In Utah for a raft and motor your size you can register it without paying for a title. You will be following the regs of both Utah State Parks and the Utah DMV, and you will also have to pay the county's fee.

To register:

1. Go to https://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-661.pdf. Print and complete the form. Call your local police department non-emergency phone number and ask if an officer can verify the VIN (which is really an HIN) on a raft. The officer will normally come to the raft's location. If it is a hot day you may consider, having at the ready, a cool unopened bottle of water to offer the officer...the office may not accept it but will appreciate the offer and may be less annoyed that he has to verify the number. Have the raft unrolled, inflated if needed, when the officer arrives so the officer can easily see the HIN. The officer will verify the HIN and sign the form. It is easier to take the form rather than the raft to the DMV.


2. https://tax.utah.gov/forms/current/tc-843. Print and complete this form. Remember to register or title your raft you will pay sales tax on the purchase price, and the DMV will use the bill of sale to determine the sales tax If you received the raft as a gift there will be no sales tax, but you may have to substantiate that it was really gifted to you. Call the DMV to see what/if they want require to verify a gift.

3, Schedule an appointment at the DMV and bring your paperwork (above forms) and payment method.

4. Be prepared to pay Utah Parks fee, DMV fee, county fee, sales tax:

Boating Fees | Utah State Parks 
*1. State Taxes ($43.50)*
The State Tax Portion has you covered by the Utah State Parks Boating Program.

*Here is the Program’s State Tax Fees Breakdown: *


$30 – Registration Fee
$10 – Aquatic Invasive Species Fee
$0.50 – Search and Rescue Fee
$3 – Electronic Payment Fee.
*Total: 43.50 *
*The remainder of the boat registration fees you pay are allocated to your Local County.




https://dmv.utah.gov/taxes-fees/uniform-fees#inflatable




Uniform Statewide Age-based FeeVessels less than 15 feet in length$10 regardless of age​

Uniform Statewide Age-based FeeCanoe, Jon Boat or Utility Boat$10 regardless of vessel’s age or length​

Length of VesselUniform Statewide
Age-based FeeCollapsible Inflatable Vessel, Pontoon or Sailboat, regardless of age15 feet or more in length but less than 19 feet in length$15​19 feet or more in length but less than 23 feet in length$25​23 feet or more in length but less than 27 feet in length$40​27 feet or more in length but less than 31 feet in length$75​


5. Prior to launching you will need the required numbers on the side of your raft. I printed mine in the required size (see the Utah Park website for the size/placement and equipment requirement) and stuck them on two boards with clear package tape or contact paper. I tied the boards (port and starboard) to the raft frame, had red and green flash lights for the light requirement, had the Utah Watercraft registration paper and PFDs sitting on the raft, and the ranger gave us the OK to launch. The registration is a State issue so usually the Feds don't care, but I show everything to whoever is there...I paid for it so I may as well show it. Once we are on the river the registration number boards, lights, and anything not need goes in the dry box. 

Good luck, and I hope your trip to the DMV and down the river is enjoyable.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Just asked montana dmv. You do a home built title (like you built it) . Law enforcement has to sign off on serial number. Then title it, then register it. So not so easy as Colorado but who wants to live in Colorado right ...ba dump cha! (I was born there so..)


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## unlucky (Sep 2, 2012)

Utah does not require a fire extinguisher for outboard motor boats with open construction.
We bring one incase the ranger doesn’t know the rules… which happens often

I think you asked the wrong person at the DMV or you did not have the correct paperwork.With the original bill of sale showing the HIN and sale price/taxes paid you should have been good. If you know a LEO in the area ask them to do a VIN check. They search a National database of VIN/HIN for reported stolen items.
I bought my boat out of state and had not been charged sales tax and had to pay it to register my boat. I did have the sales receipt and had a LEO do the HIN search.


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## dsrtrat (May 29, 2011)

unlucky said:


> Utah does not require a fire extinguisher for outboard motor boats with open construction.
> We bring one incase the ranger doesn’t know the rules… which happens often
> 
> Canyonlands National Park regulations specify a fire extinguisher even though it is in Utah. Possibly because it is a national park and under federal jurisdiction. Good idea to have one handy in any case.
> ...


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## Bill Bones (Nov 26, 2020)

Finally got around to closing this loop. I'm guessing this varies by DMV employee, but here is what's required:

-Manufacturer's certificate of origin showing VIN/HIN if you bought the boat new
-Bill of sale if you bought used, invoice or receipt if you bought new
-Driver's license
-The boat itself with the factory VIN/HIN visible

If you don't have a certificate of origin it's easy enough to call the manufacturer and get one emailed to you. The bill of sale or invoice, as previously mentioned, will dictate the amount of sales tax you're charged. In my case I was charged an extra ~1% sales tax on top of what I paid originally; I'm guessing this is to account for sales tax increase since then but still thought it was weird.

Once all the paperwork was squared away (I didn't actually fill any out myself, it was all done by DMV staff), they come out and inspect your VIN/HIN, then they hand you your stickers and registration and you're done. 

Thanks to the folks here who pretty much elucidated the steps above already. Now on to making placards for the bow numbers---I'm a little blown away that to meet Utah regulations my placards will need to be at least 32" long!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Ok I am confused. I was trying to register my raft in Montana so I could use an engine on my deso trip in July. They said the paperwork would take 8-10 weeks here. Anyway that’s cause I had to do a break/bond title thing. So I called Bryce station blm and asked if I had any other options? They said ,I do not need registration to run my raft with engine on the river but I need it to drive on Utah roads? I said so if I leave the engine in my truck drive down and put engine on boat in water Iam legal and she said ,legal to use in river but not on Utah roads? I’ll call again as trip nears but I just hate paperwork issues and confrontation etc…anyway she said that they won’t check for any registration there?


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## 801firefighter (Feb 23, 2019)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Ok I am confused. I was trying to register my raft in Montana so I could use an engine on my deso trip in July. They said the paperwork would take 8-10 weeks here. Anyway that’s cause I had to do a break/bond title thing. So I called Bryce station blm and asked if I had any other options? They said ,I do not need registration to run my raft with engine on the river but I need it to drive on Utah roads? I said so if I leave the engine in my truck drive down and put engine on boat in water Iam legal and she said ,legal to use in river but not on Utah roads? I’ll call again as trip nears but I just hate paperwork issues and confrontation etc…anyway she said that they won’t check for any registration there?


You absolutely need a registration to run a motor on Deso, I have been checked numerous times by the ranger there. She definitely does not know what she's talking about.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Hmmm. So here I have to get a break/bond title (says it’s not stolen , has a lien etc) then take that and get registration. 8 -10 weeks. Don’t have the time. Do they check a paper registration or do they just look for number stickers on boat? I’ll call again, get confirmation, get the their name yada and see? On utahs dmv site it says out of state and under 25hp needs no registration too? I dunno, it’s a headache to deal with mdmv they could care less. Iam sure they could get it done in 5 minutes


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## tBatt (May 18, 2020)

I only registered mine to go down roads.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

But seriously ? I don’t wanna fuck around with Utah dmv I try my luck just to have the wrong dude in a bad mood make for a dumb experience


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## tBatt (May 18, 2020)

No, not seriously. 
I think the break/bond title might be a hard one to get around. Is the title for the rubber or the outboard?


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

It’s for the raft. I bought it used from a outfitter and only have bill of sale no manufactures certificate or what have you.so yeah Montana wants to know it’s not stolen or has a lien and you just have to wait it out. I emailed the blm office in Brice and I’ll share their response when I get it. The lady said twice ,”I can’t say it’s not legal but can’t say it’s legal but it’s for transport.” As if it’s a motor boat on a trailer going down the road.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I do however have a certificate from my wave destroyer?? Think ranger would be a “guy” about some Tom foolery? Or just row into wind? Lol


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## unlucky (Sep 2, 2012)

The confusion in Utah comes from Title vs Registration. They are two different things but for some reason lots of people assume they are the same thing.
In Utah they do not TITLE boats under 25 hp but all boats with sail or motor power MUST be REGISTERED. 
If your watercraft will be in the state for less than 60 days per calendar year and your boat is registered in your state you do not need to have a Utah registration.

If you are planning to take a motor down the river it needs to be registered.
I have been asked numerous times for my registration and bow numbers/sticker while checking in on desolation canyon. Not all rangers enforce this but all have made it clear that registration is required.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Yeah we get it but in Montana to get registration you have to do this bond title thing to prove to them it’s not stolen or has a lien or I dunno? That’s if you don’t have the certificate of origin and original bill of sale that is. I bought mine from a outfitters getting rid of old boats so never had a certificate of origin . Never thought it mattered!? I emailed blm office and I emailed aire but I doubt aire will issue some guy a new certificate when he didn’t buy the boat new from them and so the stupid ass rules are stupid ass rules blah blah. I’ll pay the fine if they let me run it but I doubt they’d let you even have it. We where just trying to have a shorter trip but we’ll see. Maybe we’ll make it maybe not. Wouldn’t hurt my feelings to bad to not go to Utah lol


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Charlie if you want I can help you get the boat registered in Colorado as a temp fix. It doesn’t take long. Or if you know someone else in Colorado they can hook you up. It’s a pretty painless process. Sorry you gotta jump threw hoops.


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## Will Amette (Jan 28, 2017)

You ~should~ be able to get a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) from the manufacturer. You likely have to fill out a form that has your Hull Identification Number (HIN) and a fee. It might take some time because they will have to search old records to find out who the original purchaser was and when it was purchased. Wenonah Canoes charge $30 to provide a replacement MCO.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

We’ll I thought that since I wasn’t the original purchaser of the raft that Aire would not be willing to. I mean anyone could ask right? Anyway I called and just as easy as asking they re -issued me one. So I’ll go see if this is enough for the dmv. The reason it’s harder here in Montana is the want it titled before registering it. So when you buy a wreck or you part together a car or lost title etc they make you wait to make sure it doesn’t come back as stolen or I dunno what else but that’s how they do it. So now I have the manufactures certificate for of origin and I have the policy ce him check so maybe I can just get it titled and registered? I’ll definitely pm ya if it goes bad but it’s just a silly thing lol


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Man I swear that the only thing that matters is the person working at the dmv and their mood . Went back with my papers just to see what would be next and 77 dollars later have my stupid Montana registration lol! So now I can pop wheelies in my raft and go water skiing! Bwahaha!!


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