05/01/2025
☀️ With beautiful boat weather and summer holidays quickly approaching, here are some reminders so that your trip to our office is smooth sailing! Both Fort Payne and Rainsville locations can process your boat registrations. You can also renew online - 🔗 in comments!
🔄 RENEWAL:
•You must provide the AL number for each boat that you wish to renew.
•We are unable to search for your boat(s) using your name. Previously issued control numbers on the registration decal are also not acceptable. •Your previous registration certificate or a clear picture of the boat showing the AL number is required. The format is [AL - 0000 - ZZ] with 4 numbers and 2 suffix letters.
•We understand that this might seem inconvenient, but it protects our customers and prevents mistakes.
🔀 TRANSFERS:
So, you found a great deal on a boat at a yard sale? We love that for you! Granddaddy gifted you his pond boat? That’s awesome! Just be sure to get all of the information required to register the boat before you head home with your newfound treasure or gift.
All transfers require:
1. A bill of sale from the last registered owner, including their address
2. The most recent registration certificate, including the state issued vessel number (State abbreviation, 4 numbers, 2 suffix letters)
To answer some common transfer questions:
• No, we cannot make up an AL number.
• No, we cannot make up a hull identification number (HIN).
• No, we cannot make up an address for the person you bought the boat from.
We really do want for you to be able to register your boat, so please gather all of the required information before you complete the sale.
PRO TIP ➡️ Get the sellers phone number in case you need more information.
BONUS PRO TIP ➡️ Locate and take a clear picture of the hull ID number before coming in the office. It will be located on a metal plate, or stamped into an aluminum hull. It’s made up of 12 characters including letters and numbers.
🇺🇸 HOLIDAYS:
We all love a good day at the lake. Don’t let a statewide system crash ruin your plans! The system used to issue boat registrations is statewide, and it is managed by Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Marine Patrol Division in Montgomery. As with any form of technology, there is always a possibility that the system will be down for maintenance or become overloaded and crash.
Website traffic increases dramatically on Fridays during the spring and summer months. The system almost always crashes the day before a holiday weekend and can be down for multiple days at a time. That being said, do not wait until the last minute to renew. You have the entire month to do so, and it’s always the same month that your car tags are due.
🚤 NEW BOATS:
Alabama passed a law that requires new boats (2024 and newer) to be titled. There are a few exceptions to the law, but if you purchase a new boat you should be prepared to title and register your boat just like you would a vehicle.
🔹🔹🔹
During the month of May, we will share more information specific to boating and vessel registration.
✨ Follow, like, and share to help us spread the word! ✨
Please boat responsibly, and have a safe, fun summer!
