Illinois Boat Bill of Sale Template

What makes a boat different: A boat is not titled or registered through the motor vehicle agency in most states, so a bill of sale drafted for a car sends the buyer to the wrong counter. Vessels are handled by the state boating or natural resources authority, registration is usually keyed to hull length rather than weight or age, and a trailer sold with the boat is a separate titled item that needs its own paperwork.

Identifying the boat: Record the hull identification number, a 12-character mark on the transom, and not a vehicle identification number. Record the make, model year, length, and the engine serial number separately, because on a boat the hull and the motor are frequently sold, insured, and stolen apart from one another.

Mileage and hours: No odometer disclosure applies to a vessel. That federal requirement is written for motor vehicles, so the equivalent for a boat is an honest statement of engine hours, which is what a marine surveyor and any later buyer will ask for.

Illinois specifics: Illinois registers watercraft through the Department of Natural Resources under the Boat Registration and Safety Act, 625 ILCS 45, not through the Secretary of State. The fee runs on hull length: Class 1 under 16 feet up to $28, Class 2 from 16 up to 26 feet up to $60, with higher classes for 26 feet and above. A vessel holding a valid United States Coast Guard marine document is exempt from state numbering under §3-12, though an owner who uses it on Illinois water for more than 60 days in a calendar year still has to meet the registration requirement. Tax is a separate act again: a private-party vessel purchase falls under the Watercraft Use Tax Law, where 35 ILCS 158/15-15 sets the rate at 6.25% of the purchase price, an acquisition by gift or transfer is taxed just as a purchase is, and every owner of a shared boat is jointly and severally liable for the tax on a share. The buyer files Form RUT-75 with the Department of Revenue within 30 days of acquiring the boat or of bringing it into Illinois, whichever falls later.

Notarization: not required for private-party vehicle sales, but a notarized bill of sale is recommended for high-value transactions and required for certain watercraft.

Both signatures: The document should be signed by seller and buyer and a copy kept by each, since it is the only record either party holds if the transfer is later questioned.

Sold as seen: A private sale in Illinois carries no implied warranty unless the parties write one in, so state plainly whether the boat is sold as-is.