Drift Boat Title

Old406Kid

Old406Kid

Legend
My brother in law wants to sell his 1991 Clackacraft so he dug up his paperwork and found that he only got a bill of sale when he bought it used 30+ years ago. At the time he bought it they lived in Billings but moved to Gig harbor a couple of years later and the boat has never been licensed or used since the move. The seller is a friend of mine that runs a lodge in AK but there's no way that he would still have any paperwork.
I assume someone else has been in the same situation so I'm wondering how much of a hassle it is to get a WA title or what any other options would be? Thanks for any and all suggestions.
 
I had to get a title on a trailer that I brought to Washington from Oregon. Had to take it for an inspection at the DMV and then wait a year to get the clear title. I imagine that the process is similar for a boat.
 
I had to do some banking today and it just so happened that there was a licensing agency across the street so I stopped in. The agent was very helpful and said to bring in a picture of the hull ID# along with the bill of sale and they would issue some sort of temporary title. If uncontested for 3 years the title becomes permanent.
That said, I don't know how much that would affect the saleability.
 
3 years? WOW!
 
Just tell ‘em it’s 15.5’ long.
 
I had to deal with the same for my friend who move from here back to Wyoming, had just get trailer register, weighted, with the State Police as a lost title.
 
ThomasM said:
If it doesn't have a motor, you don't need a title/registration for the boat. You will need a title for the trailer so you'll need a VIN but not a hull ID for the boat itself.

Register a boat | Washington State Department of Licensing

dol.wa.gov dol.wa.gov
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This is correct. Read the top exemption. My drift boat has no title, but the trailer does.

1758210201381.png


Also a 16' drift boat will measure less than 16 from bow to stern, as drift boats are measured along the curved gunnel. I can't find anything on the DOL site about HOW to measure a boat.
 
Modest_Man said:
This is correct. Read the top exemption. My drift boat has no title, but the trailer does.

View attachment 167128


Also a 16' drift boat will measure less than 16 from bow to stern, as drift boats are measured along the curved gunnel. I can't find anything on the DOL site about HOW to measure a boat.
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Exactly, all this. It's not a lie to say it's 15.5' when they don't say HOW to measure it. Both ways are valid ways to measure a boat.

Unless it has a motor of 10hp or more, the boat just doesn't need to be registered.

Also, let's think this through. Who is actually going to cite this person for a possible edge-case violation for not registering a drifty that has no motor? The trailer is one thing, the po' might get you for that. I can't believe WDFW enforcement is going to measure a non-motorized drift boat and argue about its registration status. People drive around this state every day with no tags and no insurance, crashing into people, and nothing happens to them. It hardly seems like they will cuff you for or frankly bother you in any way for this drift boat registration thing.
 
Matt B said:
Exactly, all this. It's not a lie to say it's 15.5' when they don't say HOW to measure it. Both ways are valid ways to measure a boat.

Unless it has a motor of 10hp or more, the boat just doesn't need to be registered.

Also, let's think this through. Who is actually going to cite this person for a possible edge-case violation for not registering a drifty that has no motor? The trailer is one thing, the po' might get you for that. I can't believe WDFW enforcement is going to measure a non-motorized drift boat and argue about its registration status. People drive around this state every day with no tags and no insurance, crashing into people, and nothing happens to them. It hardly seems like they will cuff you for or frankly bother you in any way for this drift boat registration thing.
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i agree.
 
WA DOL has turned into a total pain in the ass.
My sister asked about the trailer and they told her she need to get a GVW rating since it didn't show one on the trailer title.
I told her to just sell it, sign off on the title, and let the buyer deal with it.
 
I never had a title for my drift boat. It had no hull number, either, which in newer boats should be on the port side, aft. Don't need it in WA as they have shown above.
 
I also don’t have a title for my 1985 Clack. It does measure less than 16 ft bow to stern. My trailer is licensed. It does have a hull number.
 
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