Boating in Michigan

Registration, titles, boater education and taxes, from Michigan Secretary of State (registration/title); DNR (education) and other official sources.

Registering agency	Michigan Secretary of State (registration/title); DNR (education)
Registration fees	e.g. motorboat 20 ft+ original $115; transfer $2 + renewal amount
Renewal	3 years (expires Mar 31)
Title	yes for watercraft 20 ft or longer or with a permanently affixed engine (title $5)
Boater education	Those less than 12 years of age: [per USCG-hosted NASBLA state survey; survey date not shown, may be outdated]; under 12 (survey text, incomplete) [per USCG-hosted NASBLA survey; may be outdated]
Sales/use tax	6% (private/non-dealer transfers: use tax paid to Secretary of State before registration transfer; dealer sales: dealer remits). Family-member transfers are exempt.; cap: none found
Property tax	local, varies
Forms	Official forms

Sources

Checked 2026-10-24. Rules change; confirm with the agency.