Virginia Sailboat Registration/Display

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I have never heard of this and of course that brings up the question of boats documented in other countries. Many states will not register documented boats.

Please post an authoritative link backing up your post as I'm about to head to FL with a documented but non-registered boat.

It's not a problem, but if you're there more than 90 days, you need to register it there.

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

It's not a problem, but if you're there more than 90 days, you need to register it there.

It is a problem the moment you enter one of these state's waters - the 90 days applies if your boat is registered in another state. I don't have an "authoritative link" at my finger tips, but there's this new invention called Google that works very well. Or just read the Florida regs for boat registration which require all boats have to be registered in a state.

To take a little edge off this the Florida authorities don't seem to be fixated on the issue and are not trolling for violators. I had my boat in Florida twice before finding out about this issue and wasn't bothered. But I know of another owner who was ticketed in NY for the same offense and had to go to court where, fortunately, he beat the issue because the judge thought it was an unfair law.

Dave

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

It's not a problem, but if you're there more than 90 days, you need to register it there.

I know that. Just about every state has a similar requirement. In SC it's 180 days.

That's not what I was questioning.

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I have never heard of this and of course that brings up the question of boats documented in other countries. Many states will not register documented boats.

Please post an authoritative link backing up your post as I'm about to head to FL with a documented but non-registered boat.

Here ya go:

boating in Florida

FYI I know of several Va residents in this pickle who chose to register their boats in Delaware. I haven't done this but they concluded it was a better solution than the Va faux or "courtesy" registration. I wrote to the state of NY several years ago to try to determine what I needed to do to visit, in light of the tossed court case, and never got an answer.

Dave

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

It is a problem the moment you enter one of these state's waters - the 90 days applies if your boat is registered in another state. I don't have an "authoritative link" at my finger tips, but there's this new invention called Google that works very well. Or just read the Florida regs for boat registration which require all boats have to be registered in a state.

To take a little edge off this the Florida authorities don't seem to be fixated on the issue and are not trolling for violators. I had my boat in Florida twice before finding out about this issue and wasn't bothered. But I know of another owner who was ticketed in NY for the same offense and had to go to court where, fortunately, he beat the issue because the judge thought it was an unfair law.

Dave

I beg to differ. If you can prove your boat hasn't been in the state for 90 days, you're not in violation of Florida law.

If, on the other hand, you can't prove that, you'll likely get fined and have to pay your fees and either a sales or use tax.

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

I beg to differ. If you can prove your boat hasn't been in the state for 90 days, you're not in violation of Florida law.

If, on the other hand, you can't prove that, you'll likely get fined and have to pay your fees.

Why is it that some people can't read? - or understand what they read?

You can beg and differ all you want....

"If you can prove your boat hasn't been in the state for 90 days, you're not in violation of Florida law."

Unless you are. That sitch applies if your boat is registered in another state. Go back to the beginning of this thread and slowly read it again.

Dave

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Why is it that some people can't read? - or understand what they read?

Dave

You tell me. Florida isn't concerned with your boat usage in another state. They can only dictate your use in their waters.

Ah, but you're mixing in another concept, and that's of not being registered, AND not having paid any sales tax.

That's clearly a problem, and probably an immediate one.

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

You tell me. Florida isn't concerned with your boat usage in another state. They can only dictate your use in their waters.

Request for forum enhancement: There needs to be an emoticon for somebody digging themselves deeper into a hole.

Dave

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Request for forum enhancement: There needs to be an emoticon for somebody digging themselves deeper into a hole.

Dave

For your post? This is a quote from your source:

"Boaters report that most law enforcement officers give a warning ticket and allow you to register in Florida within two weeks."

[2Hulls]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Ah, but you're mixing in another concept, and that's of not being registered, AND not having paid any sales tax.

That's clearly a problem, and probably an immediate one.

So you did re-read enough to understand the issue.

Nice try. You edited this part in afterwards to try to save face, didn't you?

To summarize, after your distraction, US doc'd vessels not registered in another state are in peril entering Florida waters (and NY and potentially other states). No 90 day grace period. Whether the locals choose to immediately enforce this law is another matter. Two week warning? That's a lot less than 90 days...

Dave

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Here ya go:

boating in Florida

FYI I know of several Va residents in this pickle who chose to register their boats in Delaware. I haven't done this but they concluded it was a better solution than the Va faux or "courtesy" registration. I wrote to the state of NY several years ago to try to determine what I needed to do to visit, in light of the tossed court case, and never got an answer.

Dave

Thank you for the link. Assuming that guy is legitimate, it seems to me that this law is more of an issue to most cruisers than the proposed anchoring law. If you can't legally bring your documented boat into Florida, not being able to anchor it would not be a concern.

Why isn't this in the cruising guides (I think I have all of them.) ? BoatUS Hasn't mentioned this problem.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

So you did re-read enough to understand the issue.

Nice try. You edited this part in afterwards to try to save face, didn't you?

To summarize, after your distraction, US doc'd vessels not registered in another state are in peril entering Florida waters (and NY and potentially other states). No 90 day grace period. Whether the locals choose to immediately enforce this law is another matter. Two week warning? That's a lot less than 90 days...

Dave

The "two week warning" is after you get stopped.

You'll probably be solid as long as you're not just playing the system to avoiding paying your fees and taxes. It's generally pretty obvious. If you've been in the state for more than 90 days, they'll likely drop the hammer on you, as you should have had a chance to get registered by then.

[2Hulls]

Ron - that link was just the first one I found. There were numerous others a couple years ago when I was researching this issue. I recall that even the Florida officials were not consistent regarding what their own laws meant and some links were clearly confusing the "registered" and "documented" terms. I think the reason this hasn't received more notice is that there are not many doc'd boats w/o state registration and Florida and other states don't target this issue - it comes up when a boater is questioned for some other infraction. My solution is not to visit Florida again...

Good luck,
Dave

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by 2Hulls

Ron - that link was just the first one I found. There were numerous others a couple years ago when I was researching this issue. I recall that even the Florida officials were not consistent regarding what their own laws meant and some links were clearly confusing the "registered" and "documented" terms. I think the reason this hasn't received more notice is that there are not many doc'd boats w/o state registration and Florida and other states don't target this issue - it comes up when a boater is questioned for some other infraction. My solution is not to visit Florida again...

Good luck,
Dave

South Carolina, for one, does not register documented boats. Perhaps the people who write these laws do not understand the difference between registration and documentation. You would hope they would research and think this stuff through but .........................



The law would seem to require boats from outside of the USA to register immediately as well.


My wife has her heart set on another trip up the St. Johns River and I can't disappoint her.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by rwidman

South Carolina, for one, does not register documented boats. Perhaps the people who write these laws do not understand the difference between registration and documentation. You would hope they would research and think this stuff through but .........................

Oh, I think they get it.

Florida doesn't have income tax, but they at least want their sales tax, and they'd never collect from anyone if they didn't have rules like this.

Everyone would just get their boat documented and pretend it was kept in a "non-tax, non-register" state.

There are at least two "I don't want to pay tax but I want to keep my boat in Florida" threads on this forum every month. I don't really blame people, but I also don't blame Florida for trying to eliminate the loopholes.