Printable View
Considering buying a used boat and see that Illinois and Tennessee do not title boats. So, the question is: How much of a hassle is it going to be if I find and buy a boat from a state that does not have titles.
Note: Illinois does title boats over 21 feet, but I'm not looking for anything that big.
I've bought 3 used boats from TN. The first thing that I would recommend would be to visit the county court clerks office and tell them you plan to purchase a boat out of state, and the state you plan to purchase from. They gave me a form and told me what I needed. I had zero problems getting them registered & titled in KY. It's been 5-6 years since I last purchased from out of state, so this may of changed but a visit to the office prior to purchasing may save you a headache.
I have a "title" for my trailer and a "Watercraft Certificate of Title" for my boat. I would guess both would have to be signed over for purchase. I bought mine from a dealer ten years ago. My boat is 18' 8".
I live in Tennessee and have sold 2 boats to Kentucky residents. I provided them with a proper bill of sale and all my State of Tennessee registration information and neither person had any trouble. I also bought a boat myself from Illinois and had zero trouble with registering in my name. Take the time to do the paperwork with the seller and you won't have any trouble.