NJ Boats that don't have Registration Requirement
A ship's lifeboat
A non-powered canoe
A non-powered kayak
A non-powered inflatable boat
A
... [Show More] non-powered surfboard
A non-powered rowing scull
A non-powered racing shell
Tender or dinghy used solely for direct transportation between a vessel and shore; and
Non-powered boats 12 feet or less in length.
NJ Registration Requirement
To use New Jersey waterways, all boats more than 12 feet in length must be titled at a Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Agency. All titled boats must be registered. In addition, all power vessels, regardless of length, must be registered. Any of the documents accepted for titling are also acceptable for registration. If the boat is not titled, you will have to show proof of ownership.
Certificate of Number
Boat owners must have at least a temporary Certificate of Number (registration) before they can operate in state waters. If the vessel is greater than 12 feet in length, the boat owner must first obtain the boat title before the Certificate of Number.
Once the Certificate of Number is issued, it must be kept on board when the vessel is being operated. The Motor Vehicle Commission must be notified within 7 days if the boat owner changes residences.
The Certificate of Number, validation decals and title are obtained by submitting the proper application and fee to an authorized boat registration agent or to the Motor Vehicle Commission.
Registration Numbers and Decals
A registration number and decal are issued upon registration. Under federal and state requirements, the registration number must be:
Affixed on both sides of the bow;
Block letters, three inches high and contrasting with the colors on the hull; and
Separated from the letters by a space or a hyphen. For example: NJ-1234-AB or NJ 1234 AB.
The decal should be displayed on both sides of the bow 3 inches aft of the registration number.
Federally Registered Vessels (Documented)
Large recreational boats can be federally registered with the U.S. Coast Guard.
All documented vessels for which the owner maintains, owns, rents, leases or otherwise occupies space within New Jersey, other than on a transient basis, MUST be registered with the State according to the established fee schedule, but are not required to display registration numbers. Validation decals will be issued and must be displayed on these vessels.
Registration certificates must also be carried on board the vessel at all times while the vessel is in operation.
Those vessels documented under Part 67 of Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations are required to register with the State and shall display a validation decal on each side of the vessel in an area adjacent to the main steering station affixed to the vertical surface plainly visible at all times from both the port (left) and starboard (right) sides.
NJ PFD Requirements
When boating in New Jersey, boat owners are required to have at least one U.S. Coast Guard approved Type IV Personal Flotation Device (PFD), either a ring buoy or seat cushion, aboard recreational boats 16 feet and longer.
In addition, New Jersey boaters are required to carry at least one wearable Type I, II, III or V PFD for each person on board, regardless of the length of the watercraft. The PFDs must be readily accessible.
Under New Jersey law, the following PFD regulation also apply.
The state of New Jersey requires all persons being towed behind a vessel to wear a PFD at all times.
All personal watercraft occupants must wear a PFD.
Inflatable PFDs are not approved for children nor are they approved for use during high impact sports such as water skiing or operating a PWC.
NJ Child PFD Requirements
If the child is on a vessel that is owned by the U.S. Government, the state of New Jersey or one of their agencies, a county or municipal government, or on any type of search and rescue vessel.
If the child is on any vessel that is longer than 65 feet being used for commercial reasons which requires a U.S. Coast Guard Operator's or Master's License.
If the child is on a ferry; or
If the child is inside a fully enclosed cabin that is a permanent non-removable part of the vessel that is designed to carry passengers.
Accident Reporting in NJ
If involved in an accident that results in property damage in excess of $2,000, injury or the death or disappearance of a person, both vessel operators are required to file a full description of the accident with the New Jersey State Police, Marine Law Enforcement station in the area where the accident occurred. The full description will also include any forms provided by the New Jersey State Police.
If a boater is involved in an accident on the waters of the state of New Jersey, which includes up to three nautical miles offshore, in which death or disappearance of a person occurs, the accident must be reported without delay to the New Jersey State Police, Marine Law Enforcement Station where the accident occurred. All other boating accidents that result in personal injury or property damage in excess of $2,000 must be reported within ten days to the New Jersey State Police, Marine Law Enforcement. [Show Less]