Free Wisconsin Boat Bill of Sale

Wisconsin takes an unusual line on the paperwork, and it is worth understanding properly.

The Department of Natural Resources does not require a record of sale as part of the application, and its own sample form says plainly that the document is for your convenience and should not be submitted.

That is not the same as saying it does not matter. The department notes it may be needed for tax purposes, and the Department of Revenue checks applications and investigates suspiciously low sale prices.

So a Wisconsin boat bill of sale is the record you hold in reserve, for the moment somebody asks what you actually paid.

One small word on the certificate of title decides who has to sign, and getting it wrong stalls the transfer.

Where the title shows more than one owner separated by the word and, the primary owner and every other named owner must sign. Where the names are separated by or, any one of them can sign alone.

Read the title before you arrange the handover, because an and title with one absent owner means the sale cannot complete that day.

Tip: The department cautions against paying for a titled boat unless the seller has the original certificate of title in hand. Check that the assignment section on the reverse is complete before money changes hands.

Wisconsin has titled boats of 16 feet and longer since February 1989, whether or not they are used on state waters. Boats under 16 feet fall outside the requirement.

For a boat that was never titled, a thorough record of the sale does more work than usual, because there is no certificate to carry the ownership story.

The trailer is somebody else’s job entirely. The DNR does not register or title trailers — those go to the Department of Transportation, so one purchase means two agencies.

Where a title has been lost and the owner of record wants to transfer the boat to someone else, there is a release of ownership interest form for exactly that situation.

Registration runs for three years, beginning on April 1 of the year it is issued and expiring on March 31 of the third year after.

One point catches mail-in applicants out: if you post your application, you must wait for the certificate of registration and decals to arrive before you can legally operate the boat. The only exception is an application submitted for you by an authorised dealer.

Applications can be started online, but the original signed certificate of title still has to reach the department by post before the transaction completes.

Fees and tax rates are revised periodically, so check the current amounts with the department. Start your Wisconsin boat bill of sale now and keep it with your own records.