All motorized and non-motorized watercraft must be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources
All motorized and non-motorized watercraft must be licensed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The types of watercraft that must be licensed include, but are not limited to, motorboats, row- boats, sailboats, sailboards, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, rowing shells or sculls, all-terrain vehicles used in the water, and inflatable craft. Exceptions to this law are as follows: 1. Watercraft currently registered in another state and not kept in Minnesota for more than 90 consecutive days. 2. Watercraft from a country other than the United States and not kept in Minnesota for more than 90 consecutive days. 3. Watercraft owned by the United States government or other specified governmental units, except those boats used for rec- recreational purposes. 4. Watercraft documented with the United States Coast Guard. (Note: Documentation is a process where official papers on craft five net tons or larger are issued by the Coast Guard instead of state registration.) 5. A ship’s lifeboat. 6. Duck boats during the duck hunting season, rice boats during the harvest season and seaplanes. 7. Non-motorized watercraft nine feet in length or less. Unless a license is issued and in effect, it’s against the law to operate or permit the operation of any watercraft which requires a license.
LICENSE PROCEDURES AND FEES Register your watercraft in person at any deputy registrar of motor vehicles (where you license your car); at the DNR License Center in St. Paul (address at the end of this booklet) or do renewals online at www.wildlifelicense.com/mn/. When you register your boat, know its length, manufacturer, type of hull material (wood, metal, or plastic), type of pro- pulsion, model, year, serial or hull identification number (HIN) and have a sales receipt that shows you have paid the sales tax. HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER A hull identification number (HIN) or serial number is vital in registering and titling your boat. It is also important to recovery if your boat is stolen or if there is a recall campaign by the manufacturer. HINs can be found on all boats manufactured since model year 1973. They are a letter-number combination usually about 12-17 digits long (ex- ample: ABC12345L402) and are usually found on the right side of the stern or transom of the craft on the outside. They may be stamped into the fiberglass or aluminum, or be on a separate plate. Location may vary slightly on pontoon boats, personal watercraft, kayaks, canoes etc. Boats built before November 1972 should have a shorter serial number somewhere on the craft.
