How to Register a Boat in Michigan: Fees, Titles and the 3-Year Decal
Learning how to register a boat in Michigan runs through the Secretary of State, not the DNR. NMMA's 2007 state-by-state count put Michigan fourth in the nation at 830,743 boats, and the state runs registration on a rhythm no neighboring state copies: one fee, a three-year decal, and a single statewide expiration — March 31 of the third year. The national framework sits in our guide on how to register a boat; this page is the Michigan execution.
Who Registers Boats in Michigan
The Department of State — the Secretary of State's office — administers watercraft numbering under Part 801 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act and titling under Part 803, the Watercraft Title Act. Its boats page is the starting point — a different counter from the Department of Natural Resources, which writes the boating rules and patrols the water but does not register boats. First-time registrations are handled at any branch office or by mail. Buy from a dealer and the paperwork mostly disappears — the dealer must combine the title and registration applications, file them in your name, and hand you a 15-day permit to use while the certificate is issued.
Which Boats Must Register — and Which Are Exempt
Michigan's default is broad: every vessel on Michigan waters must be registered and display the decal, including boats used only on privately owned lakes. Any watercraft with a motor — gas, diesel or electric, inflatables included — registers, and so does every sailboat. The exemptions in MCL 324.80123 are a short list:
- Watercraft 16 feet or shorter propelled only by oars or paddles, not used for rental or commercial purposes.
- Nonmotorized canoes and kayaks, at any length, unless rented out or used commercially — a liveried kayak registers at the $5 rate.
- Rafts, surfboards, sailboards and swim floats, regardless of length.
- Vessels owned by the United States and used in public service.
- Watercraft registered in another state and used only temporarily in Michigan — covered below.
Two traps hide in that list: a trolling motor on a canoe or kayak ends the exemption the day it goes on, and a nonpowered sailboat is not an oar-or-paddle craft, so it registers at the $9 rate even under 16 feet.
When a Michigan Boat Title Is Required
Michigan separates the two documents sharply. Registration proves the fee is paid; the certificate of title proves ownership — and the title comes first, because the Secretary of State will not complete registration on a title-required boat until it is sorted. A title is required for any watercraft 20 feet or longer, whatever its power; for any with a permanently affixed engine — an inboard or sterndrive — regardless of length, so a 17-foot inboard ski boat needs one while a 19-foot outboard does not; and for any carrying a lien, recorded on the title. The title fee is $5. Below both thresholds and lien-free, a boat registers without a title and ownership rides on the bill of sale. If a seller cannot produce proof of ownership, the state can still title the boat: at $2,500 or less the applicant certifies ownership; above that, a surety bond at twice the value may be required. A documented vessel never takes a Michigan title. Lien releases and lost titles are covered in our boat title transfer guide.
How to Register a Boat in Michigan: The 3-Year Fees
Every figure here comes from the fee schedule in MCL 324.80124(6), and every fee buys the full three-year term. For motorboats: under 12 feet pays $14; 12 to under 16 feet pays $17; the band holding most Michigan fleets, 16 to under 21 feet, pays $42; 21 to under 28 feet jumps to $115; 28 to under 35 feet is $168; 35 to under 42 feet is $244; 42 to under 50 feet is $280; and 50 feet and longer tops the schedule at $448. Length is measured end to end over the deck — for a pontoon, the length of the deck.
| Michigan registration fees — MCL 324.80124(6) | Fee (3 years) |
|---|---|
| Nonpowered vessels (other than canoes and kayaks) | $9 |
| Nonmotorized canoes and kayaks (when registration applies) | $5 |
| Motorboats under 12 ft | $14 |
| Motorboats 12 to under 16 ft | $17 |
| Motorboats 16 to under 21 ft | $42 |
| Motorboats 21 to under 28 ft | $115 |
| Motorboats 28 to under 35 ft | $168 |
| Motorboats 35 to under 42 ft | $244 |
| Motorboats 42 to under 50 ft | $280 |
| Motorboats 50 ft and over | $448 |
| Pontoon vessels, any size | $23 |
| Motorized canoes, any size | $14 |
| Commercial fishing vessels | $15 |
| Vessels carrying passengers for hire | $45 |
Around the ladder sit the flat rates. Pontoon vessels pay $23 regardless of size — the schedule's genuine bargain, since a 28-foot pontoon pays $23 where a 28-foot motorboat pays $168. Nonpowered vessels other than canoes and kayaks pay $9; registrable canoes and kayaks pay $5; a motorized canoe pays $14. Commercial fishing vessels pay $15, passenger-for-hire vessels $45, and a historic vessel (30 years or older, kept to club and exhibition use) registers at one-third of its fee.
The Tax Collected With the Fee
The 6% use tax is collected at the same counter: dealers collect it with the sale paperwork; at a private purchase the Secretary of State collects it when you register, unless tax was already paid. Certain transfers between immediate family members are exempt.
Buying a Boat in Michigan: The 15-Day Transfer Window
A private-party purchase starts the clock: the buyer has 15 days from the sale to put the registration — and the title, where the boat is titled — into their own name, and a $15 late fee applies once that window closes. Bring the assigned title if the boat has one; for an untitled boat, a bill of sale or the previous registration with the seller's signature, identification, and payment for the fee and 6% use tax. Judge sell your boat listings by that paper trail — a seller with no title for a 24-foot sterndrive is selling you a surety-bond project. The seller must likewise notify the Secretary of State within 15 days of a sale, transfer, destruction or change of address. The MC number stays with the vessel's record, but the certificate is reissued in the buyer's name — the old owner's decal is not yours to run on.
The 3-Year Decal: Display, Renewal and the March 31 Deadline
The decal is valid for a three-year period beginning April 1 and expiring March 31 of the third year — a fixed state cycle. Register in a cycle's second autumn and you still expire on its March 31, with no discount for the short first term. Display follows MCL 324.80122 and the Michigan Handbook of Boating Laws: the MC number goes on each side of the forward half of the hull, in block letters at least three inches high contrasting with the hull, the current decal displayed beside it. The pocket-size certificate of number rides on board, presented to a peace officer on request. An expired or missing decal is a state civil infraction, fine up to $500.
Renewal never needs a queue: a renewal decal can be issued up to 90 days before expiration, online with your MC number and the last four digits of the hull identification number, by mail, at 160 self-service stations statewide, or at any branch office. Name or vessel-detail changes still take a branch visit.
Documented Vessels and Visiting Boaters
A Coast Guard-documented vessel trades state paperwork for federal, but does not leave the Michigan system: under MCL 324.80124(14) it displays no MC numbers and holds no Michigan title, yet still pays the Michigan fee for its class and displays the state decal. Visiting boaters get the reciprocal deal — a vessel numbered in its state of principal use complies while used temporarily in Michigan. Once Michigan becomes the state of principal use, the out-of-state number stays valid for no more than 60 days. Neighboring triggers differ: how to register a boat in North Carolina runs on a 90-day window, how to register a boat in Florida sets its own reciprocity terms, and how to register a boat in Minnesota works through a different agency.
How to Register a Boat in Michigan FAQs
Does my boat need a Michigan title as well as registration?
If it is 20 feet or longer, has a permanently affixed inboard or sterndrive engine at any length, or carries a lien — yes, and the title must be in order first. The title fee is $5. Shorter outboard boats without liens register on the bill of sale alone.
How much does it cost to register a boat in Michigan?
One fee covers three years, set by length — the full ladder runs from $14 under 12 feet and $42 for the common 16-to-under-21-foot band up to $448 at 50 feet and over. Pontoons pay $23 at any size; a title adds $5, and 6% use tax is collected on top at a private purchase.
Do I have to register a kayak or canoe in Michigan?
Not if it is nonmotorized and used privately — nonmotorized canoes and kayaks are exempt at any length, as are paddle or oar craft 16 feet and shorter. The exemption ends if the craft is rented out or used commercially (it then registers for $5), and the moment any motor is mounted — a motorized canoe registers for $14.
Can I renew my Michigan boat registration online?
Yes. Renewals open 90 days before the March 31 expiration: online with your MC number and the last four digits of the hull identification number, by mail, at a self-service station, or at a branch office.
How to Register a Boat in Michigan: The Short Version
Knowing how to register a boat in Michigan comes down to four habits: title first if the boat is 20 feet or longer or carries an inboard, transfer within 15 days of buying, budget the length-based fee plus 6% use tax, and treat March 31 of the third year as a hard deadline. Still shopping? Browse the boat listings — and when the fleet changes, sell your boat with the title and registration record already clean, so the next buyer's 15 days go easier.