What It Costs to Register a Boat
The fees you pay to register your boat are deposited in the Waterways Safety Fund, which is used to operate Ohio's boating program. Ohio's boat registrations are renewed triennially, which means decals are valid for three years.
All registration fees include a $3 writing fee which goes to the agent where you buy your registration.
Fees do NOT include the 3-inch block letters that are displayed on a traditional registration. It is the boat owner's responsibility to display the boat's "OH" numbers in accordance with federal law. The Alternative Registration for hand-powered vessels does not require the display of "OH" numbers.
Beginning with registrations issued for 2010, non-motorized boats are assessed a $5 Waterway Conservation Fee.
NOTE: If you attach a motor (permanently or not) to a vessel registered as "hand-powered," you must change the Type of Propulsion on your registration. See Add-a-Motor Proration Fees below. The proration is only valid for traditional registrations that are adding a motor, and the change must be made at a watercraft registration agent's office. |