[Psml] State Registration vs Federal Documentation

[Barclay M. Thomas]

J&J, Lu and All,
The State of Connecticut requires anyone who boats on state waters  
for an aggregate of 60 days or more in any one calendar year, to  
'register' their boat with the State DMV.
In the case of documented vessels, or vessels registered in any other  
state, they require a "Certificate of Decal" (I call it a 'Tax  
Stamp') to be obtained and said decal must be placed on both sides of  
the bow. CT also requires the operator of the out-of-state vessel to  
obtain a Ct Safe Boating Certificate (Operators Certificate) after  
the same time period (60 days). The paper 'Certificate of Decal'  
accompanying said decals must be on board the boat whenever "...the  
owner or any person authorized by the owner is aboard...".

To obtain a 'Certificate of Decal' the following are needed:
A copy of the USCG Final Documentation Paper of out of state  
registration
a Bill of Sale
the hull ID number
a completed CT vessel registration form
Sales tax paid receipt (if no receipt of tax being paid in another  
jurisdiction, it will be due and payable to the St of CT)
The Registration fee (determined by vessel length).

Basically, if the boat will stay in Ct waters for 60 days, he'd  
better be paid up somewhere or he'll pay it all here!

The newest iteration of the law is copied below, but I am not sure if  
this clarification was actually passed last session, they seemed to  
miss a whole bunch of marine-related acts/amendments due to a day  
spent back-slapping themselves.

Hope this helps him get his papers in order. The other problem that  
could arise is making the transit back into US waters from Canada. If  
his papers and tax documents aren't up to snuff when he declares back  
through, he's liable to be spending some long,unpleasant hours with  
the DHS an Customs people.

clip-
"AN ACT CONCERNING TAXATION AND REGISTRATION OF BOATS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General  
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 15-143 of the 2006 supplement to the general  
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof  
(Effective October 1, 2006):

(a) Vessels of the following classes are not required to be numbered  
or display a Connecticut registration decal by this state: (1)  
Motorboats which have a valid marine document issued by the United  
States Coast Guard, provided the owner of any such vessel used upon  
the waters of this state for more than sixty days in any calendar  
year shall be required to comply with the registration requirements  
in section 15-144; (2) vessels owned in countries other than the  
United States temporarily using the waters of the state; (3) vessels  
owned by the United States, a state or a political subdivision of a  
state which are used in the performance of governmental functions;  
(4) vessels used exclusively as ships' lifeboats; (5) vessels  
belonging to any class which the Commissioner of Environmental  
Protection exempts upon finding that the numbering of such vessels  
does not materially aid in their identification; provided, the  
commissioner shall not exempt any such class of vessels which is  
subject to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 and  
which has not been exempted therefrom under the provisions of  
Subsection (b) of Section 19 of said act; (6) vessels principally  
used in another state for which valid, effective certificates of  
number were awarded by the United States or by such other state  
pursuant to the provisions of the federal Boat Safety Act of 1971;  
provided, the owner of a vessel used upon the waters of this state  
for more than sixty days in any calendar year shall be required to  
comply with the registration requirements in section 15-144. The  
following are prima facie evidence that a vessel will be operated on  
the waters of this state for more than sixty days in any calendar  
year and must be registered pursuant to section 15-144: (A) The  
rental or lease for more than sixty days of a mooring facility for  
the vessel when such facility is located on the waters of this state;  
(B) the purchase of a mooring facility for the vessel when such  
facility is located on the waters of this state; or (C) any other  
contractual agreement for a duration of more than sixty days that  
allows the use of a mooring facility for the vessel when such  
facility is located on the waters of this state; and (7) any vessel  
less than nineteen and one-half feet in length which is not a  
motorboat as defined in section 15-141, and any vessel propelled  
solely by oar or paddle.

(b) Vessels, the sale or transfer of which is subject to the  
provisions of Section 37 of the Shipping Act, 1916, shall be numbered  
by this state only when such sale or transfer is approved by the  
United States Maritime Administration."

-end clip

-- 
P/C Barclay M. Thomas, AP
Saybrook Power Squadron, D-1