You may need to meet certain requirements before you can renew your boat decal. Learn what the requirement on your renewal notice means and what you need to do before you can renew.
Before you get started
Find the alert on your renewal notice to see the steps you must take. If you are unsure what to do next, contact a vehicle and boat licensing office for help.
You can calculate your boat registration fees online or by contacting an office.
Please note that all vessel registrations expire on June 30th every year.
Pay your outstanding balance from a past transaction
You have an outstanding balance from a past transaction which you must pay before you renew your boat registration.
- Refer to the letter we sent you showing the past due amount.
- Take the letter, the balance, and the renewal fees to your local vehicle and boat licensing office to buy your decals.
Provide your commercial fishing license
To keep your commercial fishing excise tax exemption, you must renew your boat registration in person at a vehicle and boat licensing office.
Bring one of the following:
- Your commercial fishing license
- A receipt or letter from the Department of Fish and Wildlife stating you have paid for a current commercial fishing license
If you need information about payment of property tax due, please contact the Department of Revenue at 360-570-3265.
Provide your active-duty military ID card
To keep your vessel excise tax exemption, you must take your active-duty or dependent military ID card to a vehicle and boat licensing office to buy your decals.
Voters registered in Washington
If you have registered to vote in the state of Washington, you no longer qualify for this exemption.
Get a new boat registration number
This means that your current registration number contains an "I," "O," or "Q." The United States Coast Guard prohibits the use of these letters in a boat registration number, so you must get a new registration number when you renew.
Please visit a vehicle and boat licensing office to get a new registration number and buy your decals.
U.S. Coast Guard-documented vessels
If your boat is federally-documented through the U.S. Coast Guard, your new registration number for tracking purposes only. You do not need to display the Washington registration number on your boat.
Use the new registration number we have issued
The United States Coast Guard prohibits the use of an "I," "O," or "Q" in a boat registration number. Because your registration number contained one of these letters, we have changed the 2-letter combination in the number and have updated your records. The 4-number combination remains the same.
To avoid a citation, you must change the number displayed on your boat before you use it. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any questions, please call a vehicle and boat licensing office. Learn more about Hull Identification Number (HIN) display standards.
U.S. Coast Guard-documented vessels
If your boat is federally-documented through the U.S. Coast Guard, we'll assign a new registration number for tracking purposes only. You do not need to display the Washington registration number on your boat.
