Relating to the process and fees associated with the registration and title of vessels, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles

The bill changes the date after which a $5 penalty will be charged for failure to renew registration from May of the last calendar year of the registration period to July of the last calendar year of the registration period. The bill removes the requirement that a registrant who moves notify the county recorder in writing of the registrant’s old and new address. The registrant must simply inform any county recorder of the new address. The county recorder does not have to forward all past records of the vessel to the recorder of the county in which the owner now resides. The bill allows a registrant whose name has changed to inform any county recorder. Under the bill, when a registration certificate is lost, mutilated, or becomes illegible, or when a certificate of title is lost, stolen, mutilated, destroyed, or becomes illegible, the owner (or first lienholder) shall apply for and obtain a duplicate document in any county, rather than applying to the county recorder of original registration for registration certificates and current registration for certificates of title. The bill requires the owner to give the transferee either the title of the vessel under the transferee’s name or, if there is no title, the registration certificate completely filled in at the time of delivery upon a transfer of ownership. Once a vessel is titled, a person must assign and deliver title to a purchaser or transferee upon sale or transfer. Contrary to current law, if the registration of a vessel is expired at the time of transfer, a transfer of number does not need to be awarded in the same manner as provided for in an original registration. Current law also requires, unless otherwise provided in Code chapter 462A, that an owner must provide a purchaser or transferee of a vessel the registration certificate for the vessel with the form on the back filled in completely. The bill requires the department to determine a process for collecting fees and penalties from county recording offices and removes the requirement that a county recorder shall remit to the commission all unused license blanks for the previous registration period. The bill removes the requirement that an application for a certificate of title must be sworn to before a notarial officer. Under the bill, a dealer who buys or acquires a used vessel for resale no longer needs to report the acquisition to the county recorder on the forms the department provides. The dealer may apply for and obtain a certificate of title as provided in Code chapter 462A. The bill removes the requirement that the dealer apply for a certificate of title in the dealer’s name if the dealer acquires an unnumbered vessel. A dealer who transfers ownership of a snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or vessel will have days to forward all moneys and applications to the county recorder.