Louisiana Sailors - Please Read - Boat Registration

[Idratherbesailing]

I have a Gulfstar 37, and like most Louisiana sailors with larger sailboats, I have always had the boat documented by the Coast Guard and not had the boat registered with the State of Louisiana. Recently I received a somewhat cryptic notification from the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries that I needed to register my boat.

Seems the law was changed last legislative session...the law used to read register OR documentation was required, now it says AND...so you need to register your federally documented vessel.

Just wondering if anyone has been stopped by the game wardens over this...any opinions?

 

[sailaway78]

Very first I have heard of this

This is the very first I have heard of this. Have always documented only. I documented using a Louisiana address and hailing port when I was living in Texas to avoid the registration and fees. I have a local, St.Tammany, sheriff who is a water patrol guy next door. I will ask him next time I see him. This will be a real bummer if true.

 

[Brian D]

Re: Very first I have heard of this

Challenge it. It could be a typo or someone does not understand AND/OR. You'd be surprised. Contact your representative and "advise".

 

[ITMaster]

I Haven't Had Any Problems Yet

But it wouldn't surprise me if I started to in the future, but I'll fight it as long as I can, just to give me something to do , after all, I need some entertainment in my daily life...

From the USCG site the follow excerpt:

"The difference between Documentation and State registration is that Documentation is a form of Federal Registration for larger boats (5 net tons or more). It has two basic advantages:

• Documentation makes it easier to get bank financing. A bank will often stipulate that boat must be documented.
• Documentation makes it easier to establish the identity of the vessel when cruising foreign waters (the Coast Guard Documentation serves as a "passport" for the vessel).

Recreational boats of 5 net tons or more (approximately 35 feet in length and over) are eligible (but not required) to be documented by the Coast Guard. Documenting a boat is generally more expensive than registering it with the State, but it may have advantages if the boat is used for international travel. Some States will require registration of a boat even if it is documented.
If a pleasure craft owner wishes to have a vessel documented as a yacht, it can be done if:

1. The vessel is 5 net tons or more.
2. The owner is a citizen of the United States.
3. The vessel is used exclusively for pleasure.
4. The owner can establish the necessary facts of construction and ownership.

This will document the yacht as a vessel of the United States, but it will not exempt it from any applicable State or Federal taxes. Furthermore, the fact that the yacht is documented will not excuse the owner from complying with safety and equipment regulations of the Federal or State governments in the State in which the vessel is used.
Vessels may be documented in three categories: pleasure, commercial, or commercial with a pleasure endorsement.
Please visit the National Vessel Documentation Center at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/vdoc/nvdc.htm."

 

[ITMaster]

If My State Gets

Nasty with me, I'll figure out a way to take up or establish residency in another state that doesn't require it and just "spend lots of time in transit."

Like Brain said though, the thing to do is contact and ride our representatives hard to serve us, the electorate or face being fired for not doing their elected duty. If we all demanded they tighten up on the large corporations and quit cutting them slack when it comes to paying taxes, they they could quit hounding the private sector to pay the way. Now is the time to put the heat on them since half of them are up for re-election this time around. Threaten to fire em' and see what they come up with.

 

[Idratherbesailing]

I am trying to post the link to the Bill from the Louisiana Legislature site. It evidently became law without the governors signature, but he didn't veto it either...this is probably a way to add money to the Wildlife and Fisheries budget, pure and simple.

http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=493103

Hopefully this link will work...if you cant find it go the the LA legislative site and look for Act 35 or HB 697....you will find this bill..

 

[sailaway78]

I got my notice

I got a notice in the mail, after I had previously posted. Told me I would have to register the boat, even if documentated. Said the law went into effect Aug. 15. From the way I read it, you don't have to title the boat in La., just pay for the registration sticker. Just another way for the gummit to get a little more cash from the " wealthy yachtsman."

 

[LRlovetotravel]

Re: I got my notice

That shouldn't be a problem for you N & E since you practiclly "stole" the boat!

 

[LRlovetotravel]

Re: I got my notice

Oh, I guess should say, "you literally stole the boat!"

 

[Stillraining]

Re: I got my notice

Ya ..Its been that way in Washington for quite a while...Its one of the most greedy States to live in..

 

[Idratherbesailing]

Well, I'm going to wait awhile to see

My boat is in Orleans Marina in New Orleans...to get out into Lake Ponchartrain, I have to go up a short canal, where several real yachts are moored. Tom Benson, the owner of the Saints and many other things, keeps Lady Grace Marie, his 100'+ Burger there. I am waiting until I see the registration sticker on his boat before I put mine on...I can just see that...the ugly little sticker in orange or green, and some black numbers on the bow...

Seriously, there seems to be not much awareness of this law change, and I predict vast unconcern unless Wildlife and Fisheries tries to do an enforcement to make their point...I can see that now, flatbottom boats in Lake Ponchartrain...Can the Coasties enforce this?

 

[biggio]

I know I'm splitting hairs here but are we sailing vessels or motorized vessels? I recieved the same notcie.

Never mind I read the bill and it covered both classes.
But the notice said "motorized".

 

[biggio]

I got a notice in the mail, after I had previously posted. Told me I would have to register the boat, even if documentated. Said the law went into effect Aug. 15. From the way I read it, you don't have to title the boat in La., just pay for the registration sticker. Just another way for the gummit to get a little more cash from the " wealthy yachtsman."

Reading the bill states that we also have have to put freaking numbers on our boats. Thats what i didn't want to do. A sticker wasn't a bad thing but damn the numbers.

 

[Kridan]

Boat Registration

Sounds like Louisiana is following TX on the state registration. In order to get boat registered in TX ($99.00 FEE) you had to provide orginal Bill of Sale. New law was never about boat registrations it was about collecting sales tax on the 1000's of boats purchased out of state(?).

 

[Idratherbesailing]

Sounds like Louisiana is following TX on the state registration. In order to get boat registered in TX ($99.00 FEE) you had to provide orginal Bill of Sale. New law was never about boat registrations it was about collecting sales tax on the 1000's of boats purchased out of state(?).

But in Louisiana (so far), boats older than 10 years that are sold do not have to pay state sales tax. So the new law is about collecting the registration fee, as some have said. I am curious as to how many have actually registered? I probably will, but I am still waiting until I see the registration numbers on all of the big "real" yachts before I get worried about actually putting the numbers and sticker on. I think it is all about the "Benjamins" as some say.

I still predict widespread ignoring of the law...so far, based on a survey of the west end marinas in New Orleans, I am right. Which will really P**S me off when I see the blue lights giving me a ticket for not being registered just because I am the only person on the lake on a cold afternoon and thus the only target available. Some things just ain't fair. What happened to no taxation without representation? My representative did not even know this law had been changed.

 

[petersea]

as info

as info in Connecticut you may have your boat documented if you want but must still get a state registration. Even if a documented boat from another part of the country is in CT. (on a permanent basis) you must get a state registration. If you are on a long term visit to the state (more then 60 days) you must get a state registration. I don't see what your state is doing is much different. Not to be rude but did you really think a couple of hundred dollar fee paid to the federal government was going to keep the local/state tax collector away ??? They look at a boat same way they do a vehicle and some one has to pay for the state services. As more info if you have a documented boat in CT you do not need to put state number on it, they issue you a different color sticker to indicate you are documented and registered.

 

[gettinthere]

You CANNOT put the state numbers on a documented boat. It is against the federal law. You can be required to pay a registration fee and put a registration STICKER on the boat as almost all states require. I suspect someone is misreading the new LA. law. It probably requires a sticker for all boats and state numbers for undocumented boats. So those big megayachts will not have state numbers on the bow, ever. But they will be required to register, if they are US Documented. They might be foreign registered, check the hailing port.

 

[biggio]

But in Louisiana (so far), boats older than 10 years that are sold do not have to pay state sales tax. So the new law is about collecting the registration fee, as some have said. I am curious as to how many have actually registered? I probably will, but I am still waiting until I see the registration numbers on all of the big "real" yachts before I get worried about actually putting the numbers and sticker on. I think it is all about the "Benjamins" as some say.

I still predict widespread ignoring of the law...so far, based on a survey of the west end marinas in New Orleans, I am right. Which will really P**S me off when I see the blue lights giving me a ticket for not being registered just because I am the only person on the lake on a cold afternoon and thus the only target available. Some things just ain't fair. What happened to no taxation without representation? My representative did not even know this law had been changed.

I registered last month. Being that my boat was over 10 years old and not having to pay sale tax was a blessing. I sent a copy of my CG documentation and a check to the state and got my sticker in under 2 weeks.
I still haven't put the numbers on yet.
I'm thinking of going to one the sign shops and seeing if the can make
decal sheet of the numbers instead of applying the numbers individually.

 

[petersea]

Biggio,
You may want to check I don't think you have to or can legally put number on a documented boat. I would double check first......

 

[gettinthere]

biggio
did you read my post directly ahead of yours?

Documented boats CANNOT put state registration numbering on their vessel. It is against federal regulations. You can be required to register and be required to display a registration STICKER.