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Maryland boat and trailer move

Move a Boat and Trailer to Maryland

Move a mechanically propelled vessel through Maryland DNR's principal-use, title, decal, and excise-tax rules while keeping its highway trailer separate.

Use this order

Prepare the boat and trailer before the office visit

The government instructions are free. We show a private provider only when it is authorized for this vehicle and task.

  1. 1. Check when the application becomes due

    Register the vessel and pay any vessel excise tax within 30 days after it enters Maryland waters when Maryland will be its state of principal use. An out-of-state registration can remain in Maryland waters for up to 90 days in a calendar year without tax only when the owner can prove principal use in another jurisdiction.

  2. 2. Prepare the correct ownership record

    File DNR Form B-240 with the assigned out-of-state title when the prior state titles vessels. If the prior state does not issue titles, use its registration card or official vessel record plus the required certified or notarized bill of sale. Verify that the hull identification number on the boat matches every ownership record before filing.

  3. 3. Complete identification and inspection

    Resolve a missing, altered, or mismatched hull identification number with DNR before relying on the standard packet. Keep the prior registration, ownership chain, lien release when applicable, and clear photographs or tracing available for DNR's identity review.

  4. 4. Register the correct vehicle class

    A vessel with primary or auxiliary mechanical propulsion and principal use in Maryland must be registered. A federally documented vessel uses Maryland's documented-use decal instead of state numbering, but it still follows Maryland vessel excise-tax rules. The highway trailer has a separate MVA title, registration, inspection, and brake analysis.

Vehicle classification

Check the exact vehicle class

Maryland imposes a 5 percent vessel excise tax on purchase price or fair market value and can allow reciprocity credit for qualifying tax previously paid to a jurisdiction that would grant Maryland the same credit. An operator born on or after July 1, 1972 must carry a boating-safety education certificate while operating a motorized vessel.

Open the primary Maryland source before completing a form or paying a fee. The official agency decides which forms and checks apply to the specific vehicle.

Open the primary official source
No verified provider is listed for this exact transaction yet

Use the official state instructions. We do not show a near-match, unverified business, or provider with an expired authorization.

Open the official state guide
Separate state records

Other vehicles moving to Maryland

Open only the guide for the vehicle you are registering.

  • motorcycle
    Move a Motorcycle to Maryland

    Move an out-of-state motorcycle through Maryland title, registration, safety inspection, insurance, and Class M endorsement transfer.

  • rv
    Move an RV or Motorhome to Maryland

    Title and register a motorhome in Maryland while matching its safety-inspection station and noncommercial license class to its weight and configuration.

  • trailer
    Move a Trailer to Maryland

    Move a trailer onto Maryland records using its own use, weight, ownership, inspection, brake, and breakaway facts.

Reviewed 2026-08-24

Official Maryland sources

These are the state pages and forms used to prepare this guide.