REGISTRATION OF VESSELS

The owner of each vessel using District Waters, unless specifically exempted, must register with the Harbor Master.

The following vessels shall be exempt from registration while they are temporarily using District waters:

• Vessels that are covered by a Certificate of Number and Registration, in full force and effect, issued by the Coast Guard or by a state or United States territory with a federally approved numbering system;
• Vessels that are from a country other than the United States; and
• Vessels documented by the Coast Guard.

50-Day Rule

Use of a vessel in District Waters for a period in excess of fifty (50) consecutive days shall create a rebuttable presumption that the use is no longer temporary, and that the vessel should be registered in the District.

183-Day Rule

Use of a vessel in District waters for a period of one hundred and eighty-three (183) days or more during any calendar year shall be prima facie evidence that the use is no longer temporary and that the vessel should be registered in the District of Columbia.

Vessels Exempt from Registration

The following vessels are exempt from registration:

• A military or public vessel of the U.S. government, other than a recreational type public vessel;
• A vessel owned by a state, or any subdivision of a state, which is used principally for governmental purposes, and which is clearly identifiable as such;
• A vessel’s lifeboat, if the lifeboat is used solely for lifesaving purposes;
• A vessel used exclusively for racing; and
• A vessel operating during the period, not to exceed thirty (30) days, following the filing of an application for a Certificate of Number; provided, that visible evidence of the application shall be present on the vessel.

REGISTRATION, NUMBERING, AND DOCUMENTATION

Registration Procedures And Fees

The owner(s) of each vessel required to be registered under this chapter shall annually file an application for registration with the Harbor Master on forms approved by the Chief of Police.

• Each applicant for registration of an undocumented vessel shall be issued a Certificate of Number and two (2) annual validation stickers.
• Each applicant for registration of a documented vessel shall be issued a Certificate of Registration and two (2) annual validation stickers for documented vessels.
• No identification number shall be issued for a documented vessel.
• The annual validation stickers for documented vessels shall be separate and distinct from the annual validation stickers for undocumented vessels.

The registration year for vessels shall extend from January 1st to December 31st of each year.

Certificates of Number and Registration issued pursuant to this chapter shall expire on December 31st of the year of issue, unless the owner renews the vessel’s registration for an additional year, or unless the registration is terminated or discontinued prior to December 31st.

Numbering Of Vessels

Vessels, other than documented vessels, required to be registered, shall be numbered in accordance with this section.

No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of any vessel on District waters, unless the vessel is numbered in accordance with this section, a numbering system administered by the Coast Guard, or a federally approved numbering system of a state or a U.S. territory.

The Certificate of Number issued to the owner of a vessel shall be available at all times for inspection on the vessel for which it is issued whenever the vessel is in use.

• When a vessel is used by a manufacturer or dealer for testing or demonstration, the identification number may be painted on or attached to removable plates that are temporarily but firmly attached to each side of the forward half of the vessel.
• On vessels configured so that a number on the hull or superstructure would not be easily visible, the number must be painted on or attached to a backing plate attached to the forward half of the vessel so that the number is visible from each side of the vessel.
• Except on documented vessels, no number other than the current identification number validly assigned to the vessel shall be painted, attached, or otherwise displayed on each side of the forward half of the vessel.
• The annual validation sticker issued by the Harbor Master for an undocumented vessel shall be displayed on the vessel within six inches (6”) of the vessel identification number.
• The annual validation sticker issued by the Harbor Master for a documented vessel shall be conspicuously displayed on the forward half of the vessel.
• Nothing in this section prohibits the registration of any vessel under this chapter upon the request of the owner, even though that vessel is exempt from registration.
• The Harbor Master is authorized to issue hull identification numbers.
• If a department or agency of the U.S. government has in force an overall system of numbering identification for vessels within the United States, the numbering system administered by the Harbor Master pursuant to this section shall conform to that federal numbering system.

15-Day Rule

A person whose name appears as the owner of a vessel on a Certificate of Number shall notify the Harbor Master in writing within fifteen (15) days of the occurrence of any of the following events:

• Any change in the person’s name or address;
• The theft or recovery of the vessel;
• The loss or destruction of a valid Certificate of Number;
• The transfer of all or part of the person’s interest in the vessel, other than the creation of a security interest in the District of Columbia;
• The destruction or abandonment of the vessel; or
• The documentation of the vessel.

Livery (rental) Boats

The Certificate of Number for a readily identifiable livery boat of less than twenty-six feet (26 ft.) in length which is leased, rented, or chartered to another person for that person’s noncommercial use for less than seven (7) days may be retained on shore by the vessel owner or the owner’s representative at the place from which the vessel departs or returns to the possession of the owner or the owner’s representative.

A copy of the lease or rental agreement for a vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered under § 1004.4, that has been signed by the owner or the owner’s representative and the person renting, leasing, or chartering the vessel must be in the possession of the operator on board the vessel.

The copy of the lease or rental agreement for a vessel that is leased, rented, or chartered under § 1004.4 shall contain at least the identification number and the period of time for which the vessel is rented, leased, or chartered.  

Certificate Of Title

Any vessel principally used on District Waters and required to be registered and numbered shall have a certificate of title issued by the Harbor Master

A person who, on March 14, 1984, is the owner of a vessel with a valid Certificate of Number issued by the District is not required to file an application for a certificate of title for the vessel, unless the person transfers any part of his or her interest in the vessel or renews the Certificate of Number for the vessel.

Each owner of a vessel subject to titling under the provisions of this section shall apply to the Harbor Master for issuance of a certificate of title for the vessel within thirty (30) days of acquisition of the vessel.

No person may sell, assign, or transfer a vessel required to be titled by the District without delivering to the purchaser or transferee a certificate of title with an assignment on it showing title in the name of the purchaser or the transferee.

No person shall purchase or acquire a vessel required to be titled by the District without obtaining a certificate for it in his or her name.

If ownership of a vessel is transferred by operation of law, such as inheritance, order in bankruptcy, insolvency, replevin, or execution sale, the transferee shall, within thirty (30) days after he or she has acquired the right to possession of the vessel, deliver to the Harbor Master the proof of ownership which the Harbor Master may require, together with the application for a new certificate of title and the required fees.

Documented Boats

• Official Documentation MUST be carried onboard a documented vessel at all times.
• A Document serves as a certificate of nationality and an authorization for a trade.
• Documented vessels must comply with all state and federal laws.
• Registration fee and display of validation sticker is required in some states.
• Official number must be permanently affixed to an integral structure of the boat. This number is referred to as the “main beam” number.
• The main beam number must match the official number on the document.
• Name and hailing port of the boat must be displayed at least once anywhere on the hull (most boater display this information on the transom) - at least 4” in height, contrasting in color to the hull.
• Name and hailing port must match information on the official document.