Free Kentucky Boat Bill of Sale
Kentucky boat paperwork confuses even locals because two agencies share it: Fish and Wildlife (KDFWR) MAINTAINS the title and registration records, but the actual transfer happens at the COUNTY CLERK'S office — in the buyer's county of residence or the county where the boat is docked — using form TC96-184. Kentucky's formality rules travel with it: all sellers' and buyers' signatures on the title must be NOTARIZED, and the transfer is due within 15 days. All motorized boats title here, the 6% usage tax applies, and the county clerk also collects the annual ad valorem property tax that Kentucky levies on boats — a recurring cost buyers from other states rarely expect.
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Kentucky Boat Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Same 6% usage tax applies to boat purchases in KY.
Kentucky Boat Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Verify the HIN on the transom against the Kentucky title before paying.
- Complete the bill of sale with HIN, make, model, year, length, engine HP, price, date, and both signatures.
- Sign the title before a NOTARY — Kentucky requires notarized signatures from every buyer and seller on a boat title.
- Buyer files form TC96-184 at the county clerk — in their county of residence or the boat's county of dockage — within 15 days.
- Buyer pays the 6% usage tax plus title and registration fees at the clerk's counter.
- Budget the annual ad valorem tax — Kentucky counties assess property tax on boats each year, collected through the county clerk.
- The trailer is a separate transfer with its own title process at the same clerk's office.
Common Pitfalls
- Driving to a Fish and Wildlife office with the title — KDFWR keeps the records, but the county clerk processes the transfer.
- Unnotarized title signatures — Kentucky's notary rule applies to boat titles, and kitchen-table signatures bounce at the clerk's counter.
- Missing the 15-day window — the boat clock is as real as the vehicle one.
- Forgetting the annual boat property tax — the purchase tax is once, but Kentucky's ad valorem assessment returns every year.
Pro Tip
Kentucky boats: county clerk (not Fish and Wildlife) with TC96-184 inside 15 days, notarized signatures, 6% once — and the ad valorem tax annually after.