Free Wyoming Boat Bill of Sale

Wyoming gives the paperwork a job you can plan a summer around.

Owners are permitted to operate a newly purchased watercraft for up to 30 days after the purchase on a notarized bill of sale, or on a properly transferred title.

That is Game and Fish saying, in its own words, that the document stands in for registration while you sort the rest out. The notarization is what makes it work, so it is not a step to skip at the dock.

Thirty days is the whole allowance, though. Before it runs out, the title and registration need to be in place.

Wyoming splits the job between two very different offices, and people routinely go to the wrong one first.

Titles for watercraft are issued by the county clerk, not by Game and Fish. Registration is then handled by Game and Fish, at headquarters in Cheyenne or any regional office.

The order is fixed: a newly purchased or transferred boat needs a county-issued title in your name, plus proof that Wyoming sales tax has been paid, before the registration can be issued.

Tip: The county clerk needs your bill of sale to issue the title in the first place, along with certification of any liens. That is the first door your Wyoming boat bill of sale opens, not the last.

A hull identification inspection by a law enforcement officer may be required, typically where the number appears incorrect or the watercraft has none at all.

Buying from out of state is more straightforward than you might expect. A boat previously registered or titled elsewhere can be registered in Wyoming on a copy of that registration or title — but it must already be in the same name as the person applying here.

That last condition is the one to check before you travel. Paperwork still in the previous owner’s name will not carry you through.

All motorized watercraft on Wyoming waters need current registration, available for one year or for three.

Most boats also need an aquatic invasive species decal before launching, which is a separate purchase from the registration itself and worth sorting at the same time.

Registering by post or online means allowing time for the registration and decals to arrive, so leave a margin ahead of a trip rather than registering the week you plan to launch.

Fees, tax rates, and decal requirements change, so confirm current figures with Game and Fish before you go. Start your Wyoming boat bill of sale now and get it notarized while you are both there.