The law requires you to register any boat that is motor-driven and is operated on public waterways in NYS. The boat requires a registration even if the motor is not the primary source of propulsion. If you operate the boat in NYS, you must register the boat with the DMV. After you register your boat, you receive a registration certificate that indicates the registration number assigned to your boat and a set of registration stickers.

You must paint or attach the registration number to each side of the bow of the boat. The characters must be:

• block letters not less than three inches high,
• a color different from the hull and easy to see,
• legible from 100 ft. away during the daylight hours,
• the only number on the front half of your boat.

You cannot transfer the registration number to another boat.

The registration sticker shows the month and the year that the registration expires. Attach each sticker in line with the registration numbers on each side of the hull, and three inches toward the stern of the boat.

New York State has more than 7,500 lakes, ponds and reservoirs and over 50,000 miles of rivers and streams. Boating on these waterbodies can take the form of canoes, kayaks, personal watercraft, sailboats and motorboats. Many lakes, ponds and streams in the Forest Preserves are restricted to non-motorized boating.

DEC provides many boat access points at campgrounds and fishing access spots in the Adirondack and Catskills. This includes both car top and trailer access sites. Please remember to wear your life jackets, don’t drink and drive, and have a good time. For more information about boating registration, please call the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at (518) 473-5595.

For more information about boating requirements & boating safety, please call the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historical Preservation at (518) 474-0456.