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1. I just bought a boat through a private party sale, how do I go about getting it registered?

Manufactured Prior to 1972

If the boat you purchased was manufactured prior to November of 1972, there is no Nebraska Title so you will need a "Bill-of-Sale" from the previous owner along with a copy of their registration to transfer ownership. The Bill-of-Sale must include the year, make, sale price, and (if available) the hull ID number of the boat. It will also need to be signed by the last registered owner of the boat.

Manufactured After 1972

Boats manufactured after 1972 are required to be titled in Nebraska as of 1997. If you purchase a boat that is newer than 1972, the previous owner is required to give you a properly re-assigned title to transfer ownership of the boat. You will also need a signed Bill-of-Sale from the owner that lists the year, make, and purchase price of the boat for sales tax purposes.

Requirements

Title requirements vary from State to State on boats so if you purchase a boat from a state other than Nebraska, please contact our office to inquire as to what is needed to register it.

Please note the Nebraska Boat number that is displayed on the side of the boat when coming in to register for the first time. The original assigned Nebraska Boat number stays with the boat and will be reassigned to the new owner upon transfer of the registration.

2. What do I need to register my boat trailer?

Boat trailers are not required to be titled in Nebraska so often times the seller will just note the general trailer information on the "Bill-of-Sale" when selling a boat.

If you purchase a boat and trailer, please record the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the trailer on the "Bill-of-Sale" so that we can better locate the previous owners information for the trailer in our system. If the trailer was previously registered in another county, we may not be able to access the information, so please write down the general information for the trailer before coming into our office to register. This should include the trailer manufacturer, number of wheels on the trailer, trailer length, and if it is a "tilt" or "non-tilt" trailer. 

We will also need to know how much weight you wish to register the trailer for. This includes the weight of the trailer and the boat. Trailer weight is registered in 1,000 pound increments.

3. I purchased a New (not pre-owned) boat, how do I get it registered?

Requirements

Brand new boats and trailers will have a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) for each item. The MSO will have all the necessary information needed to produce a Boat Title, and registrations for the boat and trailer. These statements will be assigned on the back, similar to title assignments, from the boat dealer to the purchaser.

Boat dealers will also need to provide you a Nebraska Sales Tax and Use Form 6 for sales tax purposes. We will need these forms to process the new registration. If you are purchasing a new boat and/or trailer from an Out-of-State dealer, they will need to provide you with a "Purchase Contract" that states the purchase price of the boat and trailer for registration purposes.

4. I just moved from another state to Nebraska what do I need to do to register and license my boat in Nebraska?

Out of State Requirements

If the state you are coming from Titles boats you will need to bring in your title from that state and the previous registration. We will need to know the boat number that was assigned to your boat from the other state as well. If your previous state does not title boats, we would need to see just the previous registration. 

All boats manufactured after 1972 will require a title in Nebraska. In order to process a title for the boat it has to have a 12 digit Hull Identification Number (HIN) on the boat. If your boat does not have a HIN Number or it isn't 12 digits, you will have to complete the assigned HIN Number process before we can title and register your boat in Nebraska. Please call our office at 402-441-7497 prior to coming in so that we can be sure you have what you need as every state is different.