What size boat must be registered in Washington State?
I have a 12-foot aluminium dinghy with a 6 hp outboard and might also use it for rowing. Does Washington require registration for a boat this small, and does it matter whether I use it on an inland lake or Puget Sound?
Answer
Washington State generally requires registration for motorboats of any length and sailboats 16 feet or longer. A motorboat under 16 feet may be exempt if its motor is 10 hp or less and it is used solely on non-federal waters, so length alone does not decide the answer.
Propulsion and operating waters
Check the boat's recorded length, whether it has a motor and where you intend to launch. These determine whether the usual recreational boat exemption applies.
For an ordinary privately owned recreational boat, the rules are:
- Motorboat of any length: normally requires Washington title and registration, unless an exemption applies.
- Sailboat 16 feet or longer: normally requires title and registration, even without an engine.
- Sailboat under 16 feet without a motor: generally exempt.
- Canoe, kayak, rowing boat or similar craft without a motor or sail: generally exempt, regardless of length.
Use the length shown on the manufacturer's paperwork or existing ownership documents. A model advertised as a "16" is not necessarily legally under 16 feet. A boat measuring exactly 16 feet falls outside the small-motorboat exemption.
Small-motorboat exemption conditions
Your boat must meet all three conditions:
- It is less than 16 feet long.
- Its motor is rated at 10 horsepower or less.
- It is used solely on waters that are not subject to federal jurisdiction.
A 12-foot aluminium dinghy with a 6 hp outboard meets the length and power conditions. Its registration requirement still depends on where it is used. A 15-foot boat with a 15 hp outboard fails the power condition, even on a small inland lake.
Puget Sound is federal water. Your small powered dinghy needs registration there. Navigable rivers and waters connected to interstate or international navigation can also fall under federal jurisdiction. "Fresh water" and "inland" do not automatically mean exempt.
Before relying on the exemption for an isolated lake, ask a Washington vehicle and vessel licensing office whether that particular lake qualifies. Give its name and location. "A lake near Seattle" is not enough.
Electric motors and yacht tenders
Fitting an electric trolling motor makes a rowing boat or kayak a motor-powered vessel for registration purposes. Electric propulsion has no separate exemption. If the motor is labelled only in watts or pounds of thrust, ask the licensing office how its rating is treated. Thrust is not a direct horsepower measurement.