Unless you operate your boat exclusively on a private lake, you must register your boat in Florida unless you plan to be in the state 90 days or less and the boat is already registered in another state. Documented vessels in Florida must also be registered.

To obtain a registration certificate you must go to a local tax collector's office to obtain the registration certificate and decal for your boat. You will pay a fee ranging from $4.00 to $123.00 depending on the length of your boat. Registered boats are assigned a permanent number which boat owners must put on the forward half of each side of the bow of the boat. The numbers and letters must read from left to right, be of a contrasting color to the hull, be at least three inches tall, and the letters must be separated from the numbers by a space or hyphen. The decal must be placed displayed within six inches of the number, on either side of the boat.