Move a Boat and Trailer to North Carolina

Use 60 days as the planning deadline for an out-of-state vessel kept in North Carolina. The current statute keeps the former 90-day reciprocity period through September 30, 2026, then Session Law 2026-43 reduces it to 60 days on October 1; North Carolina Wildlife already tells owners to use 60 days.

Submit Form VL-1 with the original out-of-state title. Every listed owner must join the North Carolina record or provide a notarized relinquishment. If the prior state did not title the vessel, use its registration card; if a lender holds the title, coordinate the original with the lender.

Use the vessel's hull identification number and its own ownership record, not the trailer VIN. North Carolina Wildlife accepts the vessel application online, by mail, or through a Wildlife Service Agent once the required original documents are available.

Register every motorized vessel used on public water and sailboats longer than 14 feet. Vessels 14 feet or longer and personal watercraft require a title. A Coast Guard documented vessel registers after the reciprocity period but does not receive a North Carolina title while documentation remains active.