Boats Need 2011-13 Registration

Boat owners are reminded that 2011 is the first year of the new three-year registration period. The new registration cycle begins Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2013.

Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department boat and water safety coordinator, said boat validation stickers will have a new appearance and will be much easier to recognize. “The expiration year of 13 will be prominently readable in the middle of the new validation stickers, and the color will fall in line with the Coast Guard color requirements,” Boldt said.

Regulations require the boat number to be in contrasting color to the hull in plain vertical block letters at least 3 inches in height, excluding any border, trim, outlining or shading, and must be maintained in a legible condition so that it is clearly visible in daylight hours. The number shall read from left to right, and groups of numbers and letters must be separated by a space or hyphen equivalent in width to the letter “M.” A validation sticker issued by the Game and Fish Department must be displayed on the boat within 6 inches of the number toward the rear of the boat. No other numbers should be displayed in this area.

If in doubt, refer to page 10 of the 2011-13 North Dakota Boat and Water Safety Guide, Boldt said.

Boat owners should receive their registration renewal notice by the end of December. In addition,boat registrations can be renewed online at the department’s website, gf.nd.gov, by accessing the online services link, and “watercraft registration and renewals” under the watercraft heading.

Also, anyone buying a new or used watercraft can register online and generate a 10-day temporary permit that is valid until the registration is processed.

Boat owners who did not receive a renewal notice by January should contact the Game and Fish Department at (701) 328-6335, or e-mailndgf@nd.gov. Many renewals are likely to be returned because some owners who moved within the last three years did not notify the department with their new address.