Cost to own a bass boat in Illinois
Example: the Crestliner Xfc 189, 18' 10", at its published builder price of $33,344 (crestliner.com). It is the middle-priced of 26 bass boat models with a published price ($18,275 – $100,013).
| Cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Sales/use tax (once) | $2,084 | 6.25% (watercraft use tax RUT-75: 6.25% of the greater of price or fair market value) + local on retailer sales -- use tax applies to Class 2-4 and PWC purchases (Form RUT-75 within 30 days). Local tax may be added. |
| Title (once) | $0 | No title required at this length. |
| Registration (per year) | $17 | $50 every 3 yr (structured length tier 16-26 ft (renewal (powered))). |
| Maintenance (per year) | $3,334 | 10% of boat value, a rule of thumb from discoverboating.com; not a measured average. |
| Property tax | — | No property tax on boats in our data — not included in these totals. |
| At purchase (tax + title) | $2,084 | plus the boat price |
| Per year, sourced lines | $3,351 | about $279/month; partial |
Costs you add yourself
We have no official per-state figure for these, so they are not in the totals above.
- Storage: outdoor storage runs about $600 – $3,600 a year nationally (discoverboating.com, $/month × 12). Keeping it on a trailer at home can be $0.
- Insurance: no public premium data; get a quote. Insurance matcher
- Fuel: the Crestliner Xfc 189 holds 21 gal. No official or public marina-fuel dataset found. EIA on-road retail gasoline/diesel by region is a proxy only.
- Loan: these numbers assume cash. Add your rate and term in the calculator.
Run the full calculator for this boat
More: Illinois boating rules · all bass boat models
Sources
- Registering agency: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- dnr.illinois.gov
- dnr.illinois.gov
- dnr.illinois.gov
- tax.illinois.gov
- tax.illinois.gov
- ilga.gov
- Boat price and length: crestliner.com
State rules checked 2026-11-05. Fees change; confirm with the agency. Calculated with the same engine as the true cost tool.