Boat has no vin, nor title.. What should I do?

NO NO NO blame HOYT.

 

Regarding the money at the FL DMV. Your cost is $3. You have an antique boat (30 years or older). You pay no taxes, just the fee for the sticker. You might have to prompt the folks on the other side of the desk to hand you the affidavit for vouching the age of pre HIN boats. These are ALL FL preprinted forms. You can look them up online and call ahead to make sure the office has them. If they don't, print them out yourself and bring them with you.

 

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No blame HOYT is correct.

 

Phil, you are assuming there will be no issue with a title and registration transfer and that the boat hasn't been properly registered previously (in Florida or most other states). Most states assign a HIN to pre 1972 boats (including FL). This number then stays with the title and registration for the remainder of it's existence, so no affidavits are required, just standard title change and registration renewal fees. Some states do insist on an inspection, (sheriff or Fish and Wild Life) if the boat raises a red flag or has been out of current register for some time, but the deer in the headlights trick mentioned, especially if done by a woman, really is effective at keeping red flags down.

Hoyt is always to blame, which is the excuse I offer the other half frequently.

 

Glad I could help. My wife would agree.

 

The affidavit I was referring to applies only to the antique status. There are several requirements in addition to age, such as not using the vessel commercially. You can sign an affidavit vouching you comply with these several requirements, then the registration price goes down from whatever it was to $3. My comments weren't directly related to sorting out the title business. I should have been more clear. This is in addition to all that.

 

Okay, got you. This is the "exempt antique vessel status" w/sticker (optional), which is available through the local tax collectors office, after filling form (also available at the tax collector's office) "HSMV 87243". To qualify, the boat has to be 30 or more years old, used solely as a pleasure craft and must be powered as it was originally (outboard, inboard, etc.). Once qualified, the county will issue exempt status and you don't have to pay the "base registration fees", just the paper shuffle costs, which are based on boat length (interestingly enough), but a 15' boat is about $3 bucks an 18' boat about $5.