A North Carolina boat bill of sale is used as proof of new ownership of a vessel when registering and titling the boat in North Carolina. The bill of sale is required in situations where the boat hasn’t been titled before, and therefore the previous title can’t be assigned over to the new owner. A properly executed form should provide a detailed description of the boat in question, the purchase price, and the notarized signatures of all sellers. A copy may be kept with both parties for their own personal records.

North Carolina Boat Registration/Titling

New owners of used vessels will be required to register them with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Furthermore, any boat over the length of fourteen (14) feet and any personal watercraft (as in a jet ski) must also be titled. The process for registration/titling is as follows:

1. New owner completes the VL-1 Form (PDF).
2. If the boat is previously titled, they’ll need to get the title assigned over to them from the previous owner. If not, they’ll need to obtain the signed and notarized Bill of Sale.
3. The required Registration and Titling Fees are gathered.
4. The above items get delivered in-person to a local Wildlife Service Agent, or the package is sent to the below address.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Transaction Management
1709 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1700