SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-registration-number-forward-half

Where must your boat's registration numbers be displayed?

On both sides of the forward half of the boat.

  1. Across the stern under the name
  2. On the windshield
  3. Both sides of the forward half ✔

Why: 33 CFR 173.27 says numbers go on each side of the forward half of the boat, in plain vertical block characters at least 3 inches tall, reading left to right.

Huh, didn't know that: If you move your boat to a new state of principal use, the old number stays valid for 60 days.

The dad joke
What kind of boat do smart people ride on? A scholarship.
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Sources

  1. 33 CFR 173.27 Numbers: Display; size; color (eCFR) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-173.27
  2. USCG A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf

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