Boating Laws
In the Town of Huntington, the speed limit is 45 MPH to the Connecticut State Line except in harbors where boats must use the marked channels. In these “no wake” areas, the speed limit is 5 MPH. Incorporated Villages have jurisdiction extending 1,500 feet from their shoreline. In most cases, the Villages have set speed limits of 5 mph within 1,500 feet of the shore.
Registration Requirements: Both Federal and State law require that any pleasure vessel, whether propelled wholly or in part by mechanical means, which is operated on the waters of the state of New York, be registered with the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Recreational Transportation Division. Owners of vessels which are documented exclusively for pleasure with the federal government and which operate principally within New York waters must also apply to DMV for a registration certificate and are required to display validation stickers. The following vessels are exempt from state registration requirements: vessels operating commercially with either a US or foreign document; vessels legally registered in another state (up to 90 consecutive days maximum); lifeboats (not including tenders and dinghies); competition race boats; and non-mechanically propelled vessels (sailboats, kayaks, dinghies, etc).
Certificate of Registration: The registration certificate is your proof of current registration. It may also be your only proof of ownership unless the vessel is titled or documented. Vessel operators must carry the vessel’s original certificate of registration on board at all times. Likewise, the documented vessel must also carry its documentation at all times when the vessel is in use.
Correct Display of Number: The registration number consists of the letters “NY” followed by four numbers and two letters. A space, or a hyphen, the width of a letter, must separate the first and last two letters from the four middle numbers (For example: NY 1234 AB). The numbers must be painted or permanently attached to both sides of the vessel’s bow. It should read from left to right, be of block letters not less than three inches in height, and of a color that contrasts with that of the hull. The registration number should be the only number on the forward half of the vessel and should be clearly visible and readable from at least 100 feet during daylight hours. This number may not be transferred to another vessel.
Validation Stickers: Two validation stickers will be issued at the time of registration. These stickers will display the month and year of registration expiration. Validation stickers are to be affixed to the hull, in line with, and no further than three inches aft of, the registration number. On vessels documented for pleasure with the US Coast Guard, the validation stickers should be placed approximately in the same location.
Registering a Boat: Complete DMV form MV-82B (application for registration), have the appropriate registration fee, provide proof of ownership, proof of payment of sales tax (may be paid to Motor Vehicles at time of registration), along with a bill of sale and you’re all set. If this is a new boat, or a vessel being registered for the first time, you will also need to bring the original certificate, or statement, of origin from the manufacturer with you to a DMV office.