NewStateDrive
Texas boat and trailer move

Move a Boat and Trailer to Texas

Transfer a boat, outboard motor, and trailer to the correct Texas agencies without combining their titles, identifiers, or tax records.

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

    An owner transferring an out-of-state vessel record to Texas has 90 days for the title and registration, while the applicable boat or new-resident tax is due within 45 working days.

  2. 2. Prepare the correct ownership record

    Use PWD 143 and PWD 504 with the out-of-state title or registration-only record. An internal-combustion outboard motor uses its own title application and serial-number record.

  3. 3. Complete identification and inspection

    PWD 504 verifies the hull or motor serial number with a photo. A missing, altered, or conflicting number can require inspection before the title record is issued.

  4. 4. Register the correct vehicle class

    Texas registers every motorized vessel, nonmotorized vessels 14 feet or longer, and U.S. Coast Guard documented vessels used on public water. Documented vessels register but do not receive a Texas title.

Vehicle classification

Check the exact vehicle class

Texas Parks and Wildlife handles the vessel and outboard motor. The county tax office handles the boat trailer under the separate Texas DMV trailer rules.

Open the primary Texas 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 Texas

Open only the guide for the vehicle you are registering.

  • motorcycle
    Move a Motorcycle to Texas

    Register an out-of-state motorcycle in Texas without applying passenger-car inspection or emissions rules to it.

  • rv
    Move an RV or Motorhome to Texas

    Register an out-of-state motorhome in Texas using its weight, ownership record, fuel type, county, and use.

  • trailer
    Move a Trailer to Texas

    Use the trailer's gross weight, construction, prior title, VIN, and empty-weight record to choose the Texas path.

Reviewed 2026-08-24

Official Texas sources

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