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The North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission is legally responsible for Vessel Registration
in North Carolina. Vessel Registration is a system of record-keeping and
identification for all motorized vessels and large sailboats operated
on North Carolina public waters. Registration helps the Commission's Enforcement
Division protect vessel owners against theft and against irresponsible
actions by other vessel operators.
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Registration puts a
vessel owner's name, address, and vessel description into the records
of the Wildlife Commission. In turn, the Commission issues a Registration
Number to identify the vessel; a Registration Decal to indicate when the
term of registration expires; and a Registration Card which names the
owner and describes the vessel.
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There are three categories
of vessel registrations – "civilian", "dealer", and "public agency".
Approximately 98% of registrations are civilian, 1% are dealer, and 1%
are public agencies.
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Registration
Numbers always have three parts. The first part is two letters that identify
the
state, for example, "NC" for North Carolina. The second part is four
digits. The third part is one or two letters. An example civilian Registration
Number is "NC-0000-AB".
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Special
Registration Numbers are set aside for boat dealers and public agencies.
Dealers
are
issued numbers of form "NC-0000-X", where the third part is always the
letter "X". Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and
rescue squads, are issued Registration Numbers of form "NC-0000-P",
where the third part is always the letter "P".
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The wallet-size Registration
Card must always be carried aboard the vessel when operating it,
and shown
to Wildlife Enforcement Officers when they request it.
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The stick-on Registration
Decal is affixed on the starboard bow of the vessel to the right
of the
Registration Number and shows the month and year when the registration
expires. See How to Affix
a Decal.
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Once a Registration
Number is associated with a vessel, it normally remains with that
vessel
across multiple owners. Even if the vessel is moved and registered out-of-state,
the original North Carolina Registration Number is reserved, and
is re-assigned
to that same vessel if it should ever be moved back to North Carolina.
- For civilian and dealer vessels, the term of registration is either one year or three years. Two months before the expiration of the term, the Wildlife Commission mails a Renewal Notification to the vessel owner at the latest known address. The vessel owner can obtain one-year or three-year vessel registrations by mail, by visiting the NCWRC office located at 1751 Varsity Drive, NCSU Centennial Campus, Raleigh, NC 27606-2576 (see map and directions - pdf), OR by using a Visa or MasterCard online with information from your renewal notice. Three-year registrations can also be obtained by visiting a Wildlife Service Agent. Upon renewal, a new Registration Card and Decal are issued to the owner [Note: If the renewal is done at an agent, the owner will receive a temporary registration. The temporary registration can be used to operate the vessel until the registration card and decal are mailed from the Raleigh Office after all paperwork has been received from the Agent and verified for accuracy. This applies to renewals, duplicates, new registrations and transfer registrations.].
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All motorized vessels
used on public waters must be registered, including jet skis.
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All sailboats used
on public waters must be registered if longer than 14 feet at the load
waterline.
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If a vessel
registered in another state is brought into North Carolina for over 90
consecutive
days, the registration must be transferred to North Carolina.
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If
you choose to title your vessel, it must be registered as well.
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Return
to Vessels: Registration and Titling Information
What
Vessels Do Not Need Registration?
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Vessels that are unused
and kept on dry land do not need registration in North Carolina.
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Rowboats, canoes, and
rafts moved only by oars, paddles, or the current do not need registration
in North Carolina.
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A vessel used only
on a private pond does not need registration in North Carolina.
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Vessels Documented
with the U.S. Coast Guard do not need to be registered in North
Carolina.
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Ship's lifeboats or
dinghies do not need to be registered if they are used only for
emergency
lifeboat purposes. However, if they are motorized and used for non-emergency
purposes, they do require registration.
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The North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission is legally responsible for Vessel Titling
in North Carolina. Vessel Titling is a record-keeping system that provides
ownership protection to vessel owners, going beyond the Vessel Registration
system. It also protects the interests of financial institutions or individuals
that provide loans on vessels. Lenders often require that a vessel be
titled as a condition for granting a loan.
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The Wildlife Commission
keeps computerized records on all titled vessels, and issues Title Certificates
which document the owner of a vessel and any liens that lenders choose
to record on the Title Certificate. Although it is possible to record
a vessel lien with a Uniform Commercial Code filing, most lenders choose
to record it on the vessel's Title Certificate.
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A title is available
to any North Carolina vessel owner, provided that the vessel is registered
in North Carolina; is not simultaneously titled in any other state; and
is not Documented with the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time of applying for
a North Carolina title, any existing out-of-state title must be surrendered
to the Wildlife Service Agent or mailed to the Wildlife Commission.
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Titling adds the owner's
name, address, and vessel description to the records of the Wildlife Commission.
It also records the names and addresses of lienholders against the vessel.
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The Commission issues
a Title Certificate which is held by the primary lienholder, if there
is one, or otherwise, by the vessel owner.
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Unlike vessel registration,
which has a one-year or three-year term, a Title Certificate remains in
force for as long as a person owns a vessel.
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If a Title is issued
showing a lienholder, when the associated loan is paid off the lienholder
should sign and notarize the Title Certificate to release the lien, and
then mail the Title Certificate to the vessel owner.
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When
an owner desires to sell a titled vessel, the "Assignment of Title" section
of the Title Certificate is filled out. The purchaser is named, the
owner signs the
form and has the signature notarized. The Title Certificate is
then given to the purchaser. The purchaser, the boat dealer, or the
Wildlife Service
Agent must turn in the previous owner's Title Certificate to the
Wildlife Commission to apply for transfer of ownership. This must be
done even
if the title is from another state.
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Anyone who purchases or transfers a motorized vessel or sailboat 14 feet or longer or who owns a personal watercraft (jet ski), will be required to title the vessel effective Jan.1, 2007. In most cases, lenders require a title as a condition for granting a loan on a vessel.
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Although
many vessel transactions are conducted by mail, you have the option of
conducting
them with over 400 Wildlife Service Agents statewide, or
by visiting the
NCWRC office located at 1751 Varsity Drive, NCSU Centennial
Campus, Raleigh, NC 27606-2576 (see
map and directions - pdf). To obtain information on
the location of the Wildlife
Service Agent nearest to you, or for any
other reason, please call 1-800-628-3773.
