DEFINITIONS
Bill of Sale – A document executed by the seller that shows seller’s name and address, purchaser’s name and address, date of sale, complete vessel description,
and the gross purchase price of the vessel
Certificate of Origin – The manufacturer’s or importer’s document of “title” which establishes ownership of a vessel and provides for the transfer of that ownership
progressively from the manufacturer or importer to the dealer and purchaser
Excise tax -- §8-710.3(a) imposes a 5% vessel excise tax on all vessels operated principally in Maryland
Fair market value
§8-716(a)(3)(i) –Purchased from a licensed dealer – total purchase price as certified by the dealer on a form acceptable to the Department
§8-716(a)(3)(iii) -- All other transactions – either (a) the total purchase price verified by a Bill of Sale approved by the Department, or (b) the valuation
shown in a national publication of used vessel values adopted by the Department
Hull identification number – 12 character alpha-numeric number required by the U.S. Coast Guard to be permanently affixed, engraved or embossed on the
vessel by the manufacturer (the Department will assign a HIN to home built boats)
Interest -- §8-716.1(d)(1) – 1.5% per month or fraction of a month from the time the tax was due until paid
Length – overall length of the deck (feet and inches) from bow to stern measured in a straight line
Manufacturer – name of the builder – if home built, write in “custom”
Penalty -- §8-716.1(d) (1) – 10% of vessel excise tax – assessed when tax is not paid within 30 days of incurring liability
Purchase price -- §8-716(a)(5) – the total price of a vessel at the time of sale, including motor, accessories, freight-in, duty (if any), and excluding the price of
a trailer. Preparation charges are not taxable.
Reciprocal credit -- §8-716(f)(1) – credit for tax previously paid in another state – vessel must have been titled or registered in another jurisdiction or federally
documented and principally operated in another jurisdiction -- requires proof of tax payment to the other jurisdiction.
Registration number
Documented vessels – 6 or 7-character identifier assigned by the U.S. Coast Guard
All other vessels – 8-character identifier assigned by the state of registration in the format XX 1234 XX, with the 1
st
two letters identifying the state of
registration
State of principal operation – The jurisdiction in whose waters a vessel is or will be operated most during a calendar year
Tax liability
If your vessel was purchased in Maryland and will operate in Maryland waters a majority of the calendar year, you ARE liable for vessel excise tax and
must register the vessel within 30 days of purchase to avoid assessment of penalty and interest.
If your vessel was purchased elsewhere or previously registered in another jurisdiction, is now in Maryland waters, and will operate in Maryland waters a
majority of the calendar year, you ARE liable for vessel excise tax and must register the vessel within 30 days of entering Maryland waters.
If your vessel is duly registered in another jurisdiction but remains in Maryland waters more than 90 days in a calendar year, you MAY be liable for vessel
excise tax unless you can prove principal operation (as defined above) in another jurisdiction.
Trade-in – applicable only to sales by licensed dealers – a completed ‘Trade-In Verification Statement’ must be submitted with application
Vessel type – style that most accurately describes the vessel
Year – model year
– if custom, use the year vessel was built
Engine drive – describes engine type Sterndrive = Inboard/Outboard Pod-Drive = an engine mounted in front of the transom of a vessel and attached through
the bottom of the hull to a steerable propulsion unit
Tenants in Common – Ownership share becomes an asset of the estate of the deceased
Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship – Surviving parties receive equal ownership
INSTRUCTIONS
The following documents must accompany applications for title and/or registration for
v
essels to be REGISTERED in Maryland:
New
v
esse
l
--
original
M
anufac
turer’s
Certificate of Origin assigned to purchaser(s)
and original Bill of Sale (if Certificate of Origin does not contain the purchase price)
Used vessel
The following documents must accompany applications for a use
decal and/or tax
payment for DOCUMENTED vessels:
USCG stamped Bill of Sale
Photocopy of current Certificate of Documentation
Proof of prior tax paid (if seeking reciprocity credit)
REQUEST FOR EXTENSION:
Automatic 15-day extension granted, with additional
extensions at the Department’s discretion
Request for Extension must be submitted and taxes and
fees paid within 30 days of purchase
Attach copy of Bill of Sale
Original Bill of Sale and/or original title (see definition above)
o Seller must provide explanation if vessel was not
previously numbered or documented
Original Lien release (if applicable)
If
previously federally documented:
o Photocopy of seller’s most current Certificate of
Documentation
o USCG Abstract of title
o Release of ship’s mortgage (if applicable)
If previously registered in a nontitle state:
o Photocopy of most current out-of-state registration
certificate
BUSINESS HOURS ARE 8:30 TO 4:30 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (EXCEPT STATE HOLIDAYS)
PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO DNR
Annapolis Service Center
160 Harry S. Truman Pkwy
P. O. Box 1869
Annapolis MD 21404
410-260-3220
410-260-3281 (Fax)
Frederick Service Center
1601-A Bowman's Farm Rd.
Frederick, MD 21701
240-236-9950
240-236-9953 (Fax)
DNR B-240 (7/24)
dnr.maryland.gov
Bel Air Service Center
501 W. MacPhail Rd. #2
Bel Air, MD 21014
410-836-4550
410-836-4562 (Fax)
Solomons Service Center
14175 Solomons Island Rd. S
P. O. Box 1309
Solomons, MD 20688
410-535-3382
410-535-4737 (Fax)
Centreville Service Center
120 Broadway Ave. #5
Centreville, MD 21617
410-819-4100
410-819-4110 (Fax)
Salisbury Service Center
251 Tilghman Rd. #2
Salisbury, MD 21804
410-713-3840
410-713-3849 (Fax)
Essex Service Center
1338 Eastern Blvd. A
Essex, MD 21221
667-401-0760
667-401-0765 (Fax)
(No Mail. Open Mon/Wed
/Fri)
Cumberland Service Center
13300 Winchester Road, SW
Cumberland, MD 21502
301-777-2134
301-777-5865 (Fax)
(No Mail. Open Tues/Thurs)
Credit card only at this location
1-866-344-8889
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION:
Recent legislation, SB674, which is effective July 1, 2024,
states that the Department may collect alternate
emergency contact information for the vessel owner to
have on record should the vessel become abandoned.