Effective July 1, 1997 any person born after June 30, 1980 must complete a Boating Safety Course to operate a boat. Persons under 12 years of age must be accompanied by a person 21 or older on board the boat in order to operate the boat.
Register Your BoatTo REGISTER your boat for the first time, TRANSFER your boat registration, or get a DUPLICATE of your current boat registration continue here.
Renew Boat RegistrationIf you need to RENEW your existing boat registration continue here.
Mississippi law requires all sailboats and every undocumented vessel equipped with propulsion machinery, whether or not such machinery is the principal source of propulsion, using the territorial and navigable waters of the State of Mississippi to be registered and numbered for identification. No person may operate or give permission for the operation of any boat powered by machinery unless it is registered and numbered in accordance with the law. The owner of any vessel required to be numbered has ten (10) days from the date for acquisition to register the boat.
Fees for the award of certificates of number for original, transfer, renewals, livery, dealer and duplicate shall be as follows:
For all motorized boats, you have the option to register your boat online (Click Here) or complete the boat registration application, attach any necessary documents, sign and mail the paperwork to MDWFP Headquarters (MDWFP Boat Registration, 1505 Eastover Dr. Jackson, MS 39211). Acceptable payment methods are check, cashier’s check, money order, and cash if mail your boat registration into the MDWFP Headquarters location. You can get a Boat Registration Application form from:
If you purchased your boat new / used from dealer, you must:
If you purchased your boat from an individual who previously registered/titled the boat in Mississippi, you must:
If you purchased your boat from an individual who previously registered/titled the boat in another state, you must:
**The boat registration application requires a Hull Identification Number
This number should contain 12-digits if the boat was manufactured after November, 1972. Boat manufactured prior to 1972 will have a serial number. If your boat does not have a 12 digit Hull Identification Number or an incorrect Hull Identification Number, your boat must be inspected by an MDWFP officer. You must complete a MDWFP Boat Inspection Form (Click Here) and reach out to a Regional Office nearest you or the Jackson Office.
Once we receive and process your boat registration application, required documents, and payment, we will issue you a boat registration card, which states the registration number assigned to your boat, and two decals. The emblem should be displayed within six (6) inches of the number. Registration numbers issued by MDWFP are the boat’s permanent identification. The same registration number will be used as identification if the boat is transferred to a new owner. You must keep your boat registration card onboard of the vessel when in operation.