Boat Bill of Sale Template (US)

Separate the title warranty from the condition disclaimer

'As-is' is a statement about condition: the buyer takes the boat with whatever faults it has, and the seller gives no promise about quality or fitness. It is not a statement about ownership. A seller can and should still warrant that they own the boat, that they have the right to sell it, and that it is free of liens and encumbrances — that promise is what the buyer relies on when a lender or a previous owner later claims an interest.

The source document mixes the two into one sentence, so neither works cleanly. This template states them separately: an express warranty of title and freedom from liens, and a distinct as-is disclaimer of warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with an optional survey or sea-trial condition for buyers who want one.

Record the hull identification number, not just 'identification number'

The hull identification number is the twelve-character number a manufacturer or importer must permanently affix to the hull under federal rules. It is what the state titling agency, the Coast Guard, the insurer and any lien search all key off, and it is different from the engine serial number and from the trailer's VIN.

This template records the hull identification number as a required field, the engine make, serial number and hours separately, and the trailer's VIN separately again — with an explicit choice about whether the engine and trailer are included in the stated price. The source document lets a buyer tick 'trailer inclusive or exclusive of sale amount' without ever recording the trailer's VIN in a way a DMV would accept.

Say whether the vessel is state-titled or Coast Guard documented

These are two different transfer routes and the bill of sale should say which one applies. A state-titled boat transfers through the state agency, with the title signed over and the buyer registering the vessel within the state's deadline. A federally documented vessel transfers through the National Vessel Documentation Center, which requires its own notarised bill of sale form recording every seller shown on the Certificate of Documentation.

This template records the route, the title or documentation number, the state of registration and the buyer's undertaking to register or re-document within the applicable period — and points at the federal form where the vessel is documented, because a private bill of sale alone will not complete that transfer.

Deal with liens before the money moves

The most expensive mistake in a private boat sale is buying a vessel with a loan still secured on it. This template includes an optional lien-payoff clause: the lienholder is named, the payoff amount is recorded, the buyer pays that amount directly to the lienholder rather than to the seller, and the seller undertakes to deliver the lien release. Where there is no lien, the seller warrants that plainly instead.

It also records the delivery point and the moment risk passes, so it is clear who bears a loss between signature and handover — a gap the source document leaves entirely open.

Describe the boat well enough to identify it later

'Make, Year, Length' is not a description of a vessel. This template records length overall, beam, draft, hull material, engine hours, the presence of a survey, and an equipment schedule listing what is included — electronics, tender, sails, safety equipment, ground tackle — because the argument after a boat sale is almost always about what was supposed to come with it.

It also records the price allocation between hull, engine and trailer, which matters for sales tax and registration fees in several states.

Sign it properly

The source has one date and two signature lines. This template records each party's printed name, address and signature, with a witness block and an optional notary acknowledgement — required in a number of states for vessel transfers, and mandatory on the federal bill of sale for a documented vessel. It also gives each party a dated copy, which is what a buyer needs at the registration counter.

Clause-by-clause guide

Parties

Seller and buyer with full legal names and addresses — matching the names on the title or Certificate of Documentation.

The vessel

Make, model, year, hull identification number, length overall, beam, draft, hull material and registration or documentation number.

Engine and trailer

Engine make, serial number and hours, and the trailer's VIN — each recorded separately and each marked included or excluded.

Price and allocation

The total consideration and how it splits between hull, engine and trailer, which affects tax and registration in several states.

Payment and delivery

How and when the price is paid, where the vessel is handed over, and when risk of loss passes to the buyer.

Warranty of title

The seller warrants ownership, the right to sell, and that the vessel is free of liens — separate from any statement about condition.

Lien payoff

An optional clause naming the lienholder and payoff amount, with payment made directly to the lienholder and the release delivered to the buyer.

As-is condition disclaimer

The buyer takes the vessel in its current condition, with warranties of merchantability and fitness disclaimed — without touching the title warranty.

Survey and sea trial

An optional condition making the sale subject to a satisfactory survey or sea trial by a stated date.

Known defects disclosure

The seller records defects and history known to them, which is the honest version of the source document's vague assurance.

Equipment schedule

Lists what is included with the boat, so the handover argument does not happen.

Registration and documentation

Records the transfer route, the buyer's undertaking to register or re-document, and the seller's undertaking to sign what is needed.

Execution

Printed names, signatures, a witness block and an optional notary acknowledgement for states and transfers that require one.

US compliance checklist

The transfer route depends on whether the vessel is state-titled or federally documented; tax and lien checks apply either way.

• Record the hull identification number correctly

  The hull identification number is a twelve-character number permanently affixed to the hull, with the first three characters identifying the manufacturer or importer. Check that the number on the hull matches the title, registration or Certificate of Documentation before completing the sale.

  33 CFR 181.25

• Use the federal bill of sale for a documented vessel

  Transferring a Coast Guard documented vessel is done through the National Vessel Documentation Center on its own bill of sale form, which must be notarised and must include every seller named on the Certificate of Documentation. A private bill of sale alone does not complete that transfer.

  US Coast Guard — Bill of Sale (CG-1340)

• Register or title the vessel in the state within the deadline

  Most states require a newly acquired vessel to be titled and registered within a set number of days of purchase, with penalties for late registration. Check the requirement in the state where the vessel will principally be used, not where it was bought.

• Search for liens before paying

  Check the state title record and, for a documented vessel, the abstract of title held by the documentation centre. Where a loan is outstanding, pay the lienholder directly and get the release rather than trusting an undertaking to clear it afterwards.

• Confirm sales or use tax

  Most states charge sales or use tax on a private boat sale, collected at registration, and some tax the trailer and engine separately. Confirm the treatment and the price allocation before signing so the buyer is not surprised at the counter.

• Check whether a notary is needed

  Several states require the bill of sale or the title assignment to be notarised for a vessel transfer, and the federal bill of sale for a documented vessel always must be. Confirm before signing so the parties are in the same room as the notary.

• Hand over the safety and compliance documents

  Pass on the title or Certificate of Documentation, the registration decals, the manufacturer's plate details, any survey, service records and the certificate of insurance history — the buyer will need them for registration and cover.

How to complete the boat bill of sale

1. Enter the parties. Add the seller's and buyer's full legal names and addresses, matching the names on the title or Certificate of Documentation.
2. Describe the vessel. Add the make, model, year, hull identification number, dimensions, hull material and the registration or documentation number.
3. Record the engine and trailer. Enter the engine make, serial number and hours and the trailer VIN, and mark each as included in or excluded from the price.
4. Set the price and payment. Add the total price, the allocation between hull, engine and trailer, the payment method and the delivery point.
5. Deal with any lien. Switch on the lien payoff clause where a loan is outstanding, name the lienholder and the payoff amount, and pay them directly.
6. Sign, witness and notarise. Both parties sign and date, with a witness and — where the state or a documented transfer requires it — a notary. Each party keeps a signed copy.

Frequently asked questions

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