Boat Bill of Sale Template

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 8, 2026Facts checked against 33 CFR 181, TPWD, California DMV and TxDMV

Selling a boat is rarely as simple as selling a car. There's the hull, which has its own identification number and state registration. There's usually a motor, which some states title separately. And there's often a trailer, which is a road vehicle with a VIN and a license plate, handled by a different office altogether. Paperwork that lumps all of that into one line causes trouble at the counter. This one keeps them apart.

The boat bill of sale template above builds the document as you type. It works for a bass boat, a pontoon, a sailboat, a fishing skiff or a jet ski, and the printed copy fits on one page in most cases. There's no account and no watermark, so you can reprint it whenever you need another copy. Whether you were searching for a free form, a printable template or just a receipt for a boat sale, the bill of sale it produces is the same document.

Boat bill of sale form: how to fill it in

Have the boat's title or registration card in front of you before you start. Most mistakes come from typing numbers from memory.

1. State, county and date. These print at the top of the page. The date matters most: boating agencies count their deadlines from the day of sale.
2. Seller and buyer. Use full legal names as they appear on the title and on the buyer's ID. If the title lists two owners, add the co-seller so a second signature line appears.
3. The boat. Pick the type, then add the year, builder, model, length, hull material and color. Copy the hull identification number and the state registration number exactly. Add the Coast Guard official number only if the vessel is federally documented.
4. Motor and trailer. Tick the boxes for whatever is included. Each one gets its own description and serial number or VIN.
5. Price. Enter the boat, motor and trailer prices separately and the tool adds them up, writing the total out in words. Tick the gift box if no money is changing hands.
6. Print, save or download. Make two copies, sign both, and each of you keeps one.

Every field is optional. A blank one prints as a line you can fill in by pen, which makes this a printable boat bill of sale you can also complete at the dock.

Finding and checking the hull identification number

The hull identification number, or HIN, is the boat's equivalent of a VIN. Federal rules in 33 CFR Part 181 require builders to fix one to every boat they make or import, and they set out exactly what it looks like. Under § 181.25 a HIN has twelve characters with no spaces or dashes:

• Characters 1 to 3: the manufacturer identification code assigned by the Coast Guard.
• Characters 4 to 8: the builder's serial number, which can't use the letters I, O or Q.
• Character 9: the month of certification or manufacture, A for January through L for December.
• Character 10: the last digit of that year.
• Characters 11 and 12: the model year, such as 19 for 2019.

The main HIN is usually on the upper starboard (right) side of the transom, and there's a second, hidden copy elsewhere on the hull. Some titles and registration cards show it with a "US" prefix in front; the tool ignores that prefix when it checks the layout. If the check fails, it doesn't necessarily mean the number is wrong. Older boats used other layouts, and homemade boats get a number from the state, so the rule that matters is simple: the HIN on the bill of sale should match the HIN on the hull and on the title, character for character.

A HIN that has been ground off, painted over or doesn't match the paperwork is a reason to stop. It can point to a stolen hull, and the buyer may not be able to title it.

Bill of sale for boat and trailer

Most small boats are sold on their trailer, so a bill of sale for boat and trailer together is the most common version people need. The trap is that the two are not the same kind of property. The boat is registered with the state's boating agency. The trailer is a road vehicle, titled and plated by the motor vehicle office like a car.

Texas shows the split clearly. Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) titles boats and outboard motors, but it says it is not authorized to register or title boat trailers; those go through the county tax office under the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. TPWD also asks that the boat's sales price be shown excluding the trailer. That's why this boat and trailer bill of sale prints the trailer on its own lines with its own VIN, plate and price, and then shows the total.

When you sell the two together:

• Give the buyer the trailer's title (or registration, if your state doesn't title light trailers) along with the boat's title.
• Write a realistic price for each item. Splitting the price in a way that doesn't reflect reality to lower tax on one part can cause problems later.
• Check the trailer's VIN against its title. The tool runs the same check-digit test used for cars, which catches most typos on modern trailers.

If you're only selling the trailer, our trailer bill of sale is set up for that, with fields for weight and trailer type. And if your buyer wants a sample bill of sale for boat and trailer before the meeting, fill in the boat and trailer details, leave the names empty, and send them the PDF. That PDF is a free, printable bill of sale for boat and trailer they can read through at home.

Outboard motor bill of sale

In several states the motor is property in its own right. Texas titles outboard motors separately from the boat, and TPWD's list of what a valid bill of sale must show includes a description of the motor (make, year and serial number) alongside the boat. The motor section of this tool records those three details plus horsepower.

The serial number is usually on a plate on the motor's mounting bracket or on the engine block. Copy it as printed, including any letters. If the boat has two motors, describe the second one in the other terms box, with its serial number.

Selling a motor on its own? Untick the trailer box, leave the boat details empty and use the motor section and motor price. The result works as a simple outboard motor bill of sale, though if your state titles motors, the buyer will also need the signed motor title.

Jet ski and personal watercraft bill of sale

A jet ski bill of sale needs the same core details as any boat: the HIN, the state registration number, the year, make and model, and the price. Personal watercraft carry a HIN on the hull just like a runabout, and in most states they're registered with the boating agency like any other motorized vessel. Choose "Personal watercraft (jet ski)" as the type and the document prints that description.

Two things often get forgotten when selling a jet ski. The first is the trailer; many are sold on a single or double trailer, which needs its own lines. The second is the second machine: if you're selling two jet skis on one trailer, make a separate bill of sale for each, so each HIN has its own document. This keeps the paperwork tidy when the buyer registers them. Whether the listing says jet ski, jetski or PWC, the bill of sale is identical.

Nothing about this tool costs anything, so it doubles as a free watercraft bill of sale template: fill in the form once, then print it or save it as a PDF for each machine.

Engine hours matter more on a jet ski than on most boats, because they say a lot about wear. If the machine has an hour meter, enter the reading in the engine hours field.

What boating agencies ask for

Boats are registered by each state, and in many states that isn't the motor vehicle office: it's the parks and wildlife or natural resources department. The rules on what a bill of sale must show differ, but the core is consistent. Here's what two large states say.

Texas also gives sellers a way to protect themselves if they don't go to the office with the buyer: an ownership transfer notification sent to TPWD, which can be done online. Until the buyer applies for a new title, the boat stays in the seller's name, so filing that notice matters.

If your state has an official boat form, use it, and keep this one as your detailed record. Where a state simply asks for "a bill of sale," a clear, signed document like this one is what the clerk expects to see.

Boat bill of sale example

Here's what the finished document says for a typical sale, so you can see the shape before you fill in your own. This boat bill of sale example covers a fishing boat sold with its motor and trailer:

That example bill of sale boat buyers bring to the office answers every question the clerk is likely to ask: what was sold, who sold it, for how much, split by item, and on what date. The HIN in the example is made up, but it passes the layout check: builder code XYZ, serial 12345, certified March 2015 (C and 5), model year 2015.

For a gift, the price lines disappear and the sale paragraph says the boat was given with no payment in exchange. Some agencies want a separate gift affidavit as well, so ask your state's boating office.

A sample bill of sale for boat and trailer between neighbors

A shorter sample bill of sale boat owners use when there's no motor at all, such as a sailing dinghy on a small trailer: the boat section has the HIN and registration number, the motor box is unticked, and the trailer has its VIN and plate. The prices read "Boat $1,500, trailer $400, total $1,900." It's still a complete record, and it takes about two minutes to make.

Printable, PDF, Word or blank copy

You have four ways to get the finished document:

• Print it. The print layout shows only the document, with no website around it, sized for letter paper.
• Save a boat bill of sale PDF. In the print window, choose "Save as PDF" as the destination. The PDF keeps exactly the layout you see.
• Download a Word file. It opens in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice, so you can edit the wording.
• Print a blank copy. Every line comes out empty, for a blank boat bill of sale you complete by hand.

If you're meeting the buyer at a launch ramp with no printer nearby, print a blank bill of sale for boat sales the night before. A handwritten copy is fine in most places if it's legible and both of you sign.

Documented vessels and the Coast Guard

Larger boats are sometimes "documented" with the U.S. Coast Guard instead of, or as well as, being registered by the state. A documented vessel has an official number, shown on the Certificate of Documentation and marked inside the hull. Ownership of a documented vessel is recorded federally by the National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC), and the NVDC has its own bill of sale, form CG-1340.

If the boat you're selling is documented, enter its official number. The preview then adds a note that the change of ownership is filed with the NVDC on its own form. Use this free vessel bill of sale as your private record of the deal, and use form CG-1340 for the federal filing. Texas notes that documented vessels are exempt from state titling but still need state registration plus proof of current documentation, so a documented boat can involve both agencies.

Buyer's checklist before signing

1. Match the numbers. The HIN on the transom, the HIN on the title and the HIN on the bill of sale should be identical. Do the same with the motor serial and the trailer VIN.
2. Check the names. The seller should be the owner shown on the title. If someone signs for the owner, ask for written proof they're allowed to.
3. Ask about liens. Boat loans are common. If there's a lender, the loan must be paid off and released before the title is clean.
4. Test it on the water. A boat can look perfect on a trailer and refuse to start at the ramp. If a sea trial isn't possible, have a mechanic check it.
5. Get every title. Boat, motor and trailer may each have one, depending on the state.
6. Note the deadline. Texas allows 45 working days to file the transfer. Other states are stricter or more relaxed, so check before the deal.

After the sale: the seller's side

Once the money is in hand and the copies are signed, sellers have three jobs. Remove your registration decals if your state expects that. Report the sale to the boating agency if it offers a notice of sale, as Texas does with its ownership transfer notification. And keep your copy of the bill of sale, which proves when the boat stopped being yours if a marina bill, a fine or an accident report turns up later.

If you sold the trailer too, follow your state's process for that part as a vehicle sale. The vehicle bill of sale page covers that side, including what to do with plates.

Boat bill of sale FAQ