If you’re trying to figure out how to put together a bill of sale for a boat in North Dakota, you’re not alone. Finding out the requirements and laws when you’re selling or buying a boat is essential to ensure that you’re doing what’s needed at the time. This will help you avoid running around and chasing paperwork later on.

For a boat bill of sale, North Dakota has specific requirements you may not have considered. Below, you can learn the details that are required on your North Dakota bill of sale for a boat and other factors involved in transferring a watercraft to a new owner.

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North Dakota Boat Bill of Sale Requirements
North Dakota Boat Bill of Sale Template

North Dakota Boat Bill of Sale Requirements

Your boat bill of sale for North Dakota must include specific requirements. They typically include:

Buyer and seller details
Watercraft description, including make, model, hull identification number, condition, and similar facts
Any registration numbers for the boat and motor
Purchase price and payment method
Date and location of sale
Signatures of the buyer and seller
Notarization is required

Any warranty should be included on the boat bill of sale, but private sales typically don’t provide warranties. Instead, boats are sold as-is, meaning the buyer has agreed to buy the watercraft in its current state.

Registering a Boat (After Purchasing)

With your North Dakota bill of sale for a boat, here’s what you’ll need to know to register your boat. Boats in North Dakota do not receive titles.

Where to Register

You have two options when it comes to registering your North Dakota boat. You can handle the entire registration process online through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website or go into your local North Dakota Game and Fish Department office to complete this task. If the watercraft is publicly owned, it must be registered in person at a Game and Fish office.

Documents Needed to Obtain Title and Registration

You’ll need proof of identity to register your boat in North Dakota, such as a driver’s license or passport. You will also need the bill of sale for a boat that you’ve completed and proof that you’ve paid the Aquatic Nuisance Species fee.

Fees

In addition to those mentioned above $15 Aquatic Nuisance Species tax, the fees for motorized watercraft in North Dakota are $18 for all motorized canoes and watercraft up to 16 feet in length, $36 for watercraft between 16 and 20 feet in length, excluding canoes, and $45 for vessels over 20 feet (excluding canoes).

Exemptions

The state of North Dakota only requires motorized boats to be registered, so kayaks, rowboats, and canoes are all exempt from registration. However, adding a trolling motor, as one example, to any of these vessels will motorize them and make registration necessary.