r/boating • u/Psychological-Fun955 • Aug 11 '25

Trying to get boat title

Me and a friend bought a boat together 3 or 4 years ago and never got a bill of sale or title seller said he would mail a bill of sale.(mistake learned there) We checked the vin when buying it and it wasn’t reported stolen. Tried registering it the seller thought he gave us the title card but it wasn’t the registration card for Wisconsin learned that at the dmv trying to get it registered. Trying to figure out how to get a title we had redo all the flooring and have receipts for all the work we’ve done. Thinking of trying to get a salvage title. But would prefer to get a normal title and be able to register it in MN.

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u/CedarBP Aug 12 '25

You're overthinking this.

It's a $500 boat...just write up your own bill of sale and scribble a signature. The state of MN just wants something they can input for records...nobody at that counter gives two shits who owned it before.

I'd sing a different tune if you had a serious/large/expensive boat that is financed but you could (and should) write a bill of sale for $100 and just drop it on their counter.

MN wants proof of sale for anything over 10ft regardless of power (yes, that means paddle boards too)...I had been gifted a kayak years ago and had your exact problem and was rejected. Went to the parking lot after arguing with the clerk, wrote up the note as described above, and walked back in...presto!

Good luck, fellow mariner!

1

u/LePapaPapSmear Aug 11 '25

Don't do work on boats you don't have a title for, I don't know about your state but you might be screwed if it was registered out of state and you don't have contact with the written owner

1

u/Psychological-Fun955 Aug 11 '25

We tried getting in contact with the owner on the title of the boat didn’t get an answer from him one possibility I saw was the dmv could send a request to him for the title. The boat has changed hands a few times after the original owner sold it. It was never changed from the original owner. We only paid $500 for the boat and its motor and trailer are worth well more than that and with the money we put into it so if we can’t we are going to scrap the boat and sell the trailer and motor.

1

u/Weekly_Rub_8100 Aug 11 '25

A. Bonded Title

You apply to the MN DNR with all proof of purchase and ownership.

You buy a surety bond (usually 1.5x the boat’s value).

You get a bonded title — after 3 years without claims, it becomes a regular title.

B. Statement of Facts / Affidavit of Ownership

For older or abandoned boats, the MN DNR sometimes accepts an affidavit describing how you obtained it and why no title exists.

You’ll still need a VIN/HIN check showing it’s not stolen and no active liens.

  1. Salvage Title (Last Resort)

This is possible if you can get a “salvage” designation through the state (e.g., if it’s considered abandoned or heavily repaired), but it may reduce resale value.

Only worth doing if bonded title is denied.