Can I register my boat in Blue Hill?
- If you are a resident of Maine, you must register in the town where you live.
- If you are not a resident of Maine, you must register in the town where your boat is primarily docked.
- If your boat is 20′ long or shorter AND does not have a motor, it does not need to be registered.
- Lifeboats do not need to be registered.
- If your boat is USCG-documented, it does not need to be registered, but you will still need to pay excise tax to the appropriate town.
What do I need to bring?
That depends on the type of transaction! Please see below. If your situation does not match any of these, please call the clerks’ office and we can advise you.
Renewal – Registered in Blue Hill last year
- Prior year’s registration (or know the registration number, VIN, or prior year’s sticker number, as well as the registrant’s name, date of birth, and address).
- The actual owner(s) do not necessarily need to process this transaction; anyone who can provide the above may do it for them.
- You may process this transaction through Online Renewal.
Renewal – Registered in a different Maine town last year
- Prior year’s registration (or know the registration number, VIN, or prior year’s sticker number, as well as the registrant’s name, date of birth, and address).
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence.
- The actual owner(s) do not necessarily need to process this transaction; anyone who can provide the above may do it for them.
- You may process this transaction through Online Renewal.
Renewal – Registered outside of Maine last year
- Prior year’s out-of-state registration (we’ll need the actual, physical registration card).
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence.
- One actual owner will need to come into our office to sign paperwork. If they need to send someone else in their stead, their designee must have power of attorney.
New purchase – From a Maine dealership
- Bill of Sale showing sales tax collected.
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence.
- One actual owner will need to come into our office to sign paperwork. If they need to send someone else in their stead, their designee must have power of attorney.
New purchase – From an out-of-state dealership
- Bill of Sale showing sales tax (if any) collected.
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence.
- One actual owner will need to come into our office to sign paperwork. If they need to send someone else in their stead, their designee must have power of attorney.
New purchase – Private sale (including gifts)
- Bill of Sale (must contain buyer(s) and seller(s) names, addresses, and signatures; boat year, make, horsepower, length, and HIN; date of transaction; and purchase price. You may write your own or use our form)
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence.
- If the boat was previously registered in Maine, knowing the registration number will make the transaction faster, but it is not mandatory.
- All new owner(s) will need to come into our office to sign paperwork. If they need to send someone else in their stead, their designee must have power of attorney.
Homemade (no HIN)
- Proof of Blue Hill or out-of-state residence
- A photograph of the boat, emailed to the Town Clerk.
- A Request for Hull Identification Number form, either emailed to the Town Clerk or brought into the office. (If you email it, you do not need to come into the office at all for this step; we can reply by email.)
- We will send your HIN request form and photograph to the Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and they will assign you a HIN, usually within five minutes. We will return that HIN to you, either in person or by email as applicable.
- You will need to add the HIN to the boat, either by burning/engraving it into the hull in two places or nailing in two engraved plates. See detailed instructions on the second page of the HIN request form.
- Once the HIN is in place, email photographs of the two HIN markings to the Town Clerk. Make sure that the markings are legible, but that the photographs are from a great enough distance to show their location.
- Come to the town office. We will have you sign a certificate, we will send it and the photographs to the Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and they will send us back authorization to register your boat, usually within five minutes.
- One actual owner will need to come into our office to sign paperwork. If they need to send someone else in their stead, their designee must have power of attorney.