Boat Registration: The County Clerk collects sales tax on boat transactions between individuals. If purchased from a Tennessee dealer, the dealer will collect the sales tax and fill out the registration to be sent to the State. Additional documents may be required if the purchase price is less than retail value according to the NADA records. You can check the value of the boat online at www.nada.com. Boats are registered through the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
Purchase of boat or water craft between individuals requires the following:
- If the boat has been registered in Tennessee before: Will need previous registration card showing sales tax paid along with a Bill of Sale containing the seller’s address, description of the boat, (year, make, hull # or serial #, length of boat), the TN number or TWRA number belonging to the current registered owner, purchase price, and the signature of the seller.
- If the boat has never been registered in Tennessee: You will need the current registration card or title from the current state that it is registered in, along with a bill of sale with the information above excluding the TN or TWRA numbers.
Watercraft and Boat Registration
The procedure for registering jet skis and other water craft is the same as the procedure for registering boats transferred between individuals. Dealers coordinate registration, etc. when sales of boats and other water craft are made by their business.
A Bill of Sale for Boat is needed. An existing boat registration is helpful. State Sales Tax is 7% on the purchase price. If the price of the boat is between $1,600 and $3,200, an additional 2.75% State Sales Tax is applied, with a cap of $44.00. Local Sales Tax is 2.5%, up to $1,600 with a cap of $40.00