Free Indiana Boat Bill of Sale
Indiana runs boats through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles — the same counter that titles your car, which surprises buyers who go looking for a DNR office. Nearly every vessel operated on Indiana waters must be titled and registered: the main escape hatches are paddle craft, boats worth under $3,000 when new, and pre-1986 hulls. The title application is State Form 38529 (Application for Certificate of Watercraft Title), the bill of sale is State Form 44237, the tax is Indiana's flat 7% with no local add-ons, and registered boats display BMV decals just like license plates. If you're buying an older or exempt boat with no title, Indiana has a specific tool for that: the Watercraft Ownership Affidavit, State Form 55100.
Free PDF includes a small watermark at the bottom. Go Pro to remove it. Already subscribed? Sign in.
Indiana Boat Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Same flat 7% Indiana sales tax as cars, collected by the BMV when the buyer titles the watercraft. No county or city add-ons.
Inspection Requirements
No safety or emissions inspection applies to watercraft in Indiana. The practical check is the HIN itself — it must match the title exactly.
Indiana Boat Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Locate the HIN on the transom (upper starboard side) and confirm it matches the title character-for-character before money changes hands.
- Complete the bill of sale (State Form 44237 works) with the HIN, length, year, make, motor serial number, sale price, and both signatures.
- Seller signs the watercraft title over to the buyer; a lien release must accompany it if the boat was financed.
- Buyer files State Form 38529 (Application for Certificate of Watercraft Title) at any Indiana BMV branch.
- Buyer pays the flat 7% Indiana sales tax at titling — no county or municipal additions.
- Buyer registers the boat and affixes the BMV registration decals before operating on Indiana waters.
- Buying an exempt boat with no title (under $3,000 new, pre-1986, homemade)? Complete the Watercraft Ownership Affidavit (State Form 55100) as proof of ownership.
- The trailer under the boat transfers separately with its own title paperwork — don't assume it rides along with the hull.
Common Pitfalls
- Hunting for a DNR office — Indiana watercraft titling and registration live at the BMV, not the Department of Natural Resources.
- Assuming a small boat is title-exempt without checking the exemption list — the $3,000 threshold refers to the boat's value when NEW, not what you paid for it used.
- Letting the seller hand you only a registration card for a boat that legally requires a title — registration alone doesn't transfer ownership on titled vessels.
- Forgetting the trailer is a separate transaction with its own title — a bill of sale covering "boat and trailer" still feeds two different BMV processes.
Pro Tip
Indiana boats in one line: verify the HIN, sign the title (or Form 55100 for exempt hulls), file Form 38529 at the BMV, and pay the flat 7% — the trailer is its own separate transfer.