PRATT – Summertime is boating time and with 24 federal reservoirs and more than 200 community lakes, there are plenty of places for Kansans to enjoy being on the water. However, before you make you make your first trip, take a second and make sure your registration is up to date.

All boats powered by gas, diesel, electric motors or sail must be registered and numbered through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) for use on public waters. Boaters can renew their registrations in person at KDWPT state park and regional offices or boat registration agents (a list of agents by county can be found at www.ksoutdoors.com under “Boating”).

If you sell a boat, you must notify the department in writing within 15 days. If you buy a boat from an individual, an application for registration needs to be submitted accompanied by the previous owner’s certificate of number or a bill of sale and the registration fee. If you buy a boat from a Kansas dealer, the application needs to be submitted with a form STD8 or a bill of sale showing sales tax paid is required. If you buy a boat from an out-of-state dealer, the bill of sale showing sales tax paid is required. If no sales tax was paid, go to your county treasurer and pay sales tax then submit that receipt. Registration applications can be downloaded from the KDWPT website, filled out and mailed in with the registration fee of $32.50 (valid for three years).

The assigned registration number must be painted or permanently attached to each side of the forward, top half of the boat. Numbers must be vertical block characters at least 3 inches tall that read from left to right. A registration decal is issued each time you renew and it includes the year it expires. Instructions on how the registration numbers should appear are available in the Kansas Boating Regulations Summary or online.

Boat registrations expire three years from date of renewal, and KDWPT will send out renewal notices six weeks prior to expiration.

Fees from boat registrations fund boating access, education, and law enforcement programs and also provide match for federal funding. For more information on boat registration, contact your local KDWPT state park or regional office or call 620-672-5911.

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