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Tennessee’s Titling and Registration Requirements

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Boat Registration Requirements

Tennessee’s boat registration regulations stipulate that to legally operate a motorized boat in Tennessee (including federally documented boats) and sailboats primarily used in Tennessee, you must register the boat by obtaining a Certificate of Number. The Certificate of Number must be on board at all times and be available for inspection by law enforcement. Boats are not required to be titled in Tennessee.

To register a boat, you must complete a registration form, available through a County Clerk’s office or from the dealer that sold you the boat.

Illustration of a boat displaying boat registration numbers

Exemptions:

Currently registered boats from other states that are using Tennessee water for 60 days or less.
Human-powered craft (such as canoes and kayaks).

Boat Registration Number and Decal Placement:

The numbers must be painted or otherwise permanently affixed to each side of the forward half of the boat.
The color of the registration number must contrast with the color of the boat.
The numbers must be in plain, vertical block letters and be at least 3 inches high.
The numbers must be read from left to right.
Numbers and letters must be separated by a hyphen or by an equivalent space.
Validation decals must be placed on each side of the bow immediately preceding or following the registration number.
The same placement requirements apply to personal watercraft (PWCs).

Other Boat Registration Information

A Certificate of Number is valid for 1, 2, or 3 years, at the option of the owner.

The owner of a numbered boat must notify the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) within 15 days if:

They change their address.
The boat is lost, stolen and/or recovered, destroyed, abandoned, or sold.

Note: If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number or validation decals, you must apply to the TWRA for a replacement and submit a processing fee.

Federally Documented Boats

Boats that have been federally documented by the Coast Guard must be registered in Tennessee and must carry the Certificate of Number on board, but they are not required to display the registration number.

The validation decals must be placed on both sides of the documented boat on the windows closest to the main operator station. If the boat does not have windows, the decals must be placed in the immediate vicinity of the operator and must be clearly visible to enforcement officers.

Note: Documented sailboats may place the decals on both sides of the bottom of the main mast.