What boats need to be registered NC?

North Carolina boat registration summary is a free resource designed to inform the boating public about registration requirements, recording methods, and title search guidelines for the State of North Carolina. The data is maintained as an open wiki forum where readers are encouraged to participate by sharing knowledge and experiences with this particular state. Simply click on the "Wiki-Share" link to contribute further details or suggest a revision.

Table of Contents Show

Registration Overview
Registration Requirements
Marking Requirements
Ownership and Liens
Boat Title Searches
Documented Vessels

This information is subject to change and should be confirmed with the respective agency.

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State of North CarolinaWildlife Resources Commission

Boat Registration Website

Registration Overview

North Carolina issues registrations and titles for non-exempt boats operating within its jurisdiction. These are administered by the Wildlife Resources Commission in Raleigh. This state does not issue titles and registrations for outboard motors. Boat trailer registrations and titles are issued in North Carolina. Sales tax applies to boat transactions in North Carolina. There are approximately 370,780 boats registered in the State of North Carolina. This accounts for 3.1% of all nationwide registrations.

Registration Requirements

All motorized boats are subject to registration in North Carolina except for sailboats 14 feet or less in length. Registration is also required for USCG documented vessels. Visit their boat registration website for further requirements and exemptions. This state does not have provisions for conditional registrations. Ownership transfers, abandonments, destructions, and thefts must be reported to the Wildlife Resources Commission within 15 days.

Marking Requirements

North Carolina boat registration numbers begin with an "NC" designation which is followed by four numbers and then two letters. These must be displayed on all non-documented boats along with registration sticker tabs. Coast Guard documented vessels may not display the state registration numbers. However they must display the state registration tabs, an owner designated vessel name, and a hailing port. An official documentation number must also be affixed to a visible interior location in the hull itself or an integral part of the hull. All vessels manufactured after 1972 are required to have a 12 digit hull identification number affixed to the vessel by the manufacturer. State assigned hull numbers prefixed with the letters "NCZ" are available for home made boats and those without factory designations. North Carolina does not require hull number inspections.

Ownership and Liens

North Carolina issues titles on all registered boats except for those which are Coast Guard Documented. This state does not have provisions for bonded titling when there is insufficient proof of ownership. Under these circumstances it will be necessary to petition a local court of law for an award of ownership. There are however definitive procedures for taking ownership of abandoned boats.Security interests in state titled boats are recorded with the Wildlife Resources Commission. These will be shown on both the registration and title certificates when applicable. All titles with active security interests are sent directly to the secured party. Security interests in boats that are neither titled or USCG documented are filed with the Secretary of State as Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements.Tax liens may be flagged on boat registration records, recorded as UCC filings, shown on state revenue records, or filed with a county clerk's office. There are no provisions for recording mechanic's liens or other non-secured claims against state titled boats.If the vessel is USCG documented, a lender's security interest must be perfected by filing a preferred vessel mortgage. These are recorded with the National Vessel Documentation Center and priority is attained according to the date filed. Other maritime liens can be filed in the same manner although they function as notifications only. All mortgage and lien filings are indexed on the vessel's underlying abstract of title.

Boat Title Searches

Boat title and registration records in North Carolina are maintained by the Wildlife Resources Commission. This agency does not facilitate online searches for the general public. However, record printouts are available upon verbal, written, faxed, or emailed requests. It is also reported that their offices will provide telephone verifications on information shown on boat title or registration certificates in hand.Uniform Commercial Code searches are available online from the Secretary of State. They also provide an online tax lien search. However, if there are any suspected state or federal tax liens, it may be advisable to use a public record vendor as they have a much broader access to such filings nationwide. Ownership, mortgage, and lien search recordings for USCG documented vessels can be obtained by ordering an abstract of title and a copy of the certificate of documentation from the National Vessel Documentation Center. However, these are encoded and can be difficult to interpret, especially on older vessels with numerous recordings. It may be worthwhile to contact a professional vessel title company for assistance in this regard. Non-recorded maritime liens may also be a factor when conducting boat title research in North Carolina. These include liabilities for items such as services, equipment, fuel, storage, parts, supplies, and damages which can become attached to the boat itself regardless of ownership. One of the most useful tools for doing this kind of research is our premier boat history search database. It offers a gathering of eight nationwide databases into a single interface which can be searched by numerous criteria. These include records for stolen boats, marine lien claims, boating accidents, pollution incidents, auctioned boats, factory recalls, and documented vessels. Yacht brokers, documentation companies, and attorneys do not warrant or guarantee titles. It is therefore incumbent on the owner to stand behind any such representations. Of course it will be of no consolation if a guarantor is insolvent, non-cooperative, or can not be located. This calls for a thorough background check to ensure the owner's wherewithal for making good on any hidden liens or title deficiencies.

Here are some additional facts about titling and registering your vessel.

Titling of vessels is mandatory in North Carolina. Anyone who purchases or transfers ownership of a motorized vessel or sailboat 14 feet or longer or who owns a personal watercraft (PWC), also known as jet ski, must have a title for the vessel. Vessels documented with the USCG are exempt from obtaining a title.
A Certificate of Number is valid for either one or three years, at the option of the owner. The Certificate of Number must be renewed on or before the first day of the month following the month of expiration shown on the validation decal. Renewal notices are mailed to all owners of registered vessels 60 days before their date of expiration. You can renew over the telephone by calling 1-800-628-3773.
If you change your address or if you abandon or destroy your vessel, you must call or write the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) within 15 days.
If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number or decal, you must apply to the NCWRC for a duplicate and submit a processing fee.
If your vessel is lost or stolen, notify the NCWRC and local law enforcement authorities immediately.
Vessels registered in another state may operate on North Carolina waters for 90 days before North Carolina registration and numbering are required.
Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the USCG. Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information.
Registration and title application forms can be obtained:
- From the Watercraft Titling & Registration Section of the Wildlife Resources Commission
- From many marine dealers or other local vessel registration agents
- By calling 1-800-628-3773

Call the NCWRC at 1-800-628-3773. Also, you can call or visit a Wildlife Resources Commission office.

To operate a motorized vessel, a 14-foot or longer sailboat, or a personal watercraft (jet ski) in North Carolina the vessel must be titled. All titled vessels must also be registered.

Vessels exempt from registration:

Rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and rafts moved only by oars, paddles or the current;
Vessels used only on private ponds;
Vessels that are properly registered in another state and are operating on North Carolina waters for fewer than 90 days;
Ship's lifeboats or dinghies, provided that they are used exclusively for emergency lifeboat purposes.

Registration can be for a period of one year or three years, as chosen by the operator. Registration and titling applications should be made to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) office through a Wildlife Service Agent.

Once a vessel is registered the owner will receive a Certificate of Number that must be kept on board and readily available for inspection by a law enforcement officer whenever the vessel is in operation.

The NCWRC must be notified in writing as soon as possible if the owner changes address, the boat is scrapped, or the boat is sold.

How to Display Registration Number and Decals

Every vessel that is required to be registered must display decals issued by the NCWRC to identify the vessel as currently registered.

You must display your boat number in the following manner:

Painted on or permanently attached to both side of the bow of the vessel;
Positioned to ensure maximum visibility;
Using BLOCK letters at least three inches high and of one solid color contrasting with the color of your boat;
To read from left to right; letters and numbers must be separated by a space or a hyphen, for example, NC 1234 AB or NC-1234-AB
No other numbers may be displayed

You must display your validation decals as follows:

On both sides of the boat
Within six inches of the last character of the registration number;
Expired decals must be removed.

Documented Vessels

USCG-Documented vessels must also be registered with the state if operating on North Carolina waters for more than 90 consecutive days. Registration numbers must not be displayed, however, validation decals must be displayed on the forward half of both sides of the bow.