The New York State Boater's Guide is available from the DMV, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, or the NYS Canal Corporation. This handbook contains information about registration, operation and safety. Go to the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation web site to get information about the operation of a vessel or recreational vehicle in NYS.
*Boat Registration Information Courtesy of New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
Yes. New York State has laws that prohibit the operation of a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
More information is available from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. On April 1, 1999, the Zero Tolerance Law for vessel operators became effective.
You can renew your boat registration on-line, https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/how-register-vehicle or you can renew by mail. To renew by mail, use the MV-3B renewal notice mailed to you by the DMV, or use form MV-82B (BoatRegistration/Title Application). You can also renew at a local DMV office.
Boat registrations are issued for three years. There is a registration fee and a surcharge for boating safety. The fees and surcharges are calculated from the length of the boat as follows:
For registration processed before September 1, 2009 and renewals with expiration dates before September 1, 2009:
* Less than 16 feet - $18.00 registration fee and $3.00 surcharge ($21.00total).
* 16 feet to less than 26 feet - $36.00 registration fee and $10.00 surcharge ($46.00 total).
* 26 feet or longer - $60.00 registration fee and $15.00 surcharge ($75.00total).
For registration processed on and after September 1, 2009 and renewals with expiration dates on and after September 1, 2009:
* Less than 16 feet - $22.50 registration fee and $3.75 surcharge ($26.25total).
* 16 feet to less than 26 feet - $45.00 registration fee and $12.50 surcharge ($57.50 total).
* 26 feet or longer - $75.00 registration fee and $18.75 surcharge ($93.75total).
See the information about boat registration requirements.
To register your boat, bring the following items to a DMV office:
- Complete form MV-82-B (Boat Registration / Title Application).
- Complete form DTF-802 (Statement of Transaction for Sales Tax) or proof of exemption or tax paid. The requirements and forms for boats are the same as those for motor vehicles. See the information about sales tax.
- The proof of ownership listed in the boat registration requirements document.
- Proof of identity and date of birth.
- Cash, check or credit card for the fee.
Remember that if you have a boat trailer you must register the trailer. See the instructions to register a vehicle.
The DMV issues title certificates for boats that are:
- model year 1987 and newer,
- at least 14 ft. long, and
- registered in New York State.
The title certificate is used for proof of ownership for these boats instead of the registration. Title certificates are not issued for boats that do not match the description above or for boats registered with the Coast Guard. For a boat that does not receive a title certificate, the transferable registration is proof of ownership.
If you have a boat that does not have a hull identification number (HIN), you must get one before you can register the boat if:
- you made the boat
- you got a boat that was manufactured before November 1, 1972.
You can get an application form from the DMV or from the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). Send the completed form to the OPRHP. The OPRHP arranges your boat inspection for you. To get form, Visit the OPRHP web site.
You must register the boat in NYS if:
- the boat is not used for commercial purposes in NYS, and
- the boat will be used on public waterways in NYS for 90 or more consecutive days.
- See the information about boat registration requirements.
If your boat was documented by US Coast Guard, you do not receive a NYS registration number. You receive NYS registration stickers only. Attach the stickers in the position where the registration numbers are normally located.
The law requires you to register any boat that is motor-driven and is operated on public waterways in NYS. The boat requires a registration even if the motor is not the primary source of propulsion. If you operate the boat in NYS, you must register the boat with the DMV. After you register your boat, you receive a registration certificate that indicates the registration number assigned to your boat and a set of registration stickers.
You must paint or attach the registration number to each side of the bow of the boat. The characters must be:
- block letters not less than three inches high,
- a color different from the hull and easy to see,
- legible from 100 ft. away during the daylight hours,
- the only number on the front half of your boat.
You cannot transfer the registration number to another boat.
The registration sticker shows the month and the year that the registration expires. Attach each sticker in line with the registration numbers on each side of the hull, and three inches toward the stern of the boat.
Since NYSHBCA was formed in 1976, we have no records or information on persons who were Harbormasters or Bay Constables in New York State dating back to as early as the 1600's. We will however, put a request out to our members in case there is a chance one of them may have some info on that person. Your best bet is to google the name of the person and do a search on theInternet especially if you're inquiring from the United Kingdom/Great Britain.
Atthis time, NYSHBCA does not have patches for collectors to be given out.
To become a member, you must be currently employed as a marine law enforcement officer and hold the title of bay constable or harbormaster. You must obtain an application and sponsorship from another member.
No. Tickets and summons's should be handled through the courts named and written on the summons by the marine law enforcement agency that issued it. Follow the instructions on the backside of the summons. Certain tickets require you to appear in court for other types violations.
Please note that New York State Harbormaster & Bay Constable Association is not an agency that hires for the positions of bay constable and harbormaster. Please seek out the agency within the townships and/or counties that you are interested in. Please refer to the Agency Contact List on our website. Also, New York State Harbormaster & Bay Constable Association cannot and will not endorse any individual for a position of either bay constable or harbormaster.
The minimum age is 21 at time of appointment.
Your best bet is to contact the state or county civil service department that you will send your application to. Any questions regarding applications or job descriptions should be directed to the civil service agency as changes to rules and policies sometimes do occur. NYSHBCA gets information from the civil service websites and posts it here as a courtesy. Download A Guide to the Written Test for the Local Bay Constable Series.
After successful canvassing and hiring by an agency or department, you will undergo training at a Peace Officer Academy. The only way to get this training is for the agency that hired you is to sponsor you. Keep in mind that you would need prior experience in certain fields and qualifications according to the job titles of bay constable and harbormaster.
You would have to start by contacting the agency or department that you’re interested in and see if they have openings. Search for links to the state, county and town civil service websites for more information as a civil service exam is required for full time positions. Dates for the exams are also posted on the civil service sites. Upon obtaining a passing grade, you will be put on an eligibility list according to grade. Agencies with positions open will send out canvassing letters to candidates from the list. Our website hosts a great deal of information and links that should help you in your research. www.nyshbca.org
Since our inception February 1976, the New York State Harbormasters & Bay Constable Association (A Not For Profit Organization) has been made up of marine law enforcement officers interested in promoting boater safety and marine environmental protection. Subsequently, the NYSHBCA has grown to include hundreds of members statewide and incorporating various law enforcement and marine patrol agencies. Our association is comprised of dedicated professionals patrolling our ocean, beaches, bays, and Long Island Sound. They are also ensuring daily Homeland Security patrols, marine law enforcement, safety patrols, and environmental conservation.
The purpose for which this Association has been formed is to encourage a cooperative feeling among members of this and similar organizations for the promotion of Boating Safety and Marine Environmental Protection. Also, to promote and develop a friendly and fraternal spirit among its members, to educate its members through an exchange of ideas and to develop a higher degree of professionalism.