Boat and engine bill of sale: free templates and complete guide

Are you looking for a boat bill of sale template to formalise the transfer of your vessel? Whether you are selling a motor boat, a sailing boat, a jet-ski or any other pleasure vessel, it is essential to follow the legal procedures. Find here all the bill of sale templates as well as the complete list of documents to provide for a fully compliant boat sale or transfer.

Download your bill of sale template

Choose the template that matches your situation. Each one comes in two versions: to fill in directly on screen, or to print and complete by hand.

Sale of an engine alone

The boat bill of sale: an essential document for a successful transaction

A document to secure the sale or purchase of a boat

For any nautical transaction, in the context of the sale of a boat or an engine, the bill of sale is a key document. It is this deed that makes official the transfer of ownership between one or more seller(s) and one or more buyer(s).

The bill of sale protects both parties and guarantees the legality of the transaction. In the event of a dispute, it is the document that serves as proof!

A compulsory document for the transfer of ownership of a boat or an engine

With the administrative bodies for pleasure boating, the transfer of ownership requires the presentation of a duly completed and signed pleasure boat bill of sale. Without this document, the buyer cannot register the vessel in their name, nor sail legally.

In the bill of sale for a boat or an engine, essential information to include

The identity of the seller and the buyer

The surnames, first names, full addresses, telephone numbers and, if possible, the identity documents of both parties must be detailed. For co-ownership, each owner of the craft must appear on the bill of sale.

Description of the boat or the engine

In the document, the type of boat must be specified: sailing boat, motor boat, jet-ski, etc., but also the make, the model, the CIN/HIN/WIN number and certain technical characteristics such as length and engine power.

In the case of an engine bill of sale alone, the serial number, the model and the power of the equipment must be mentioned.

The terms of the sale: price, date, signatures, etc.

Finally, the agreed sale price, the date of the transaction and the signatures of all the parties concerned must appear.

Documents to provide when selling or buying

The seller's documents

• The seller's identity card or passport

The boat's documents

• The carte de circulation for a pleasure boat or PWC, in the maritime zone or in inland waters
• The acte de francisation for a pleasure boat

These two official documents are required for any transfer of ownership with the maritime administration. The original documents must be handed over to the buyer at the time of sale.

Without these documents, the registration of a boat remains impossible!

The engine's documents

• The engine bill of sale (compulsory if bought second-hand), accompanied by the seller's identity document (passport or identity card)

Other supporting documents: proof of ownership, transfer certificate, etc.

In the event of inheritance or purchase abroad, additional documents may be required: a certificate of devolution, a deregistration certificate, a declaration of boat conformity...

Administrative formalities to complete after the sale or purchase

The transfer of ownership

Following the transaction, the buyer has 30 days to submit a transfer of ownership application to the maritime administration. This must be accompanied by the boat's bill of sale, as well as the vessel's titles.

Registering the boat

Once the sale has been declared by the new owner, they become the vessel's legal person responsible. It is their duty to update the boat's navigation title. This is amended, and then contains the new information: the name of the new owner(s), of the new engine(s) if any, as well as the flag details.

Special cases: co-ownership, inheritance, purchase abroad, etc.

In some cases, the sale or transfer procedure is a little more complex, and requires formalities other than simply filling in the bill of sale for a second-hand pleasure boat. This is the case, for example, for co-ownership, the purchase of a pleasure vessel abroad or inheritance.

In the event of the sale or purchase of a co-owned boat

50%, 30%, 20%...: The bill of sale must state the exact breakdown of shares, or the exact ownership percentages of each co-owner. All selling and buying co-owners must also, of course, sign all the documents.

In the context of inheriting a boat

The administrative formalities in the context of inheriting a pleasure boat can be complicated. The maritime administrative services require a certificate of devolution, issued by the notary in charge of the succession of the deceased's estate. This document takes the place of a bill of sale to allow the transfer.

In the event of a transaction carried out abroad

If the second-hand boat is bought outside mainland France (Corsica included), you will have to follow the procedure with even more precautions and pay particularly careful attention to the administrative documents. Two documents will be essential in order to register it under the French flag:

• The boat's Written Declaration of Conformity (DEC)
• A deregistration certificate from the foreign flag

The boat engine bill of sale: for any engine change on a pleasure boat

An essential document for the transaction of propulsion equipment

Any change of engine on a pleasure boat or a PWC involves a compulsory declaration made to the administrations within one month. In the event of the sale or purchase of an engine alone, a boat engine bill of sale is required: it is compulsory in order to register the change with Maritime Affairs.

In the event of a first registration and if the engine fitted on the boat was bought second-hand, you will have to attach this bill of sale to your boat registration application. The engine bill of sale replaces the purchase invoice for a new engine from a professional, and has the same legal value.

The removal certificate, for replacing a boat engine

If you change the engine on your pleasure boat or PWC, you must imperatively submit a removal application for the previous engine within one month. This application, subject to validation by the administrations, is to be filled in if you have neither an invoice nor a bill of sale in your possession, or if some of the documents are missing, in which case we recommend providing photos of the engine and its serial number.

Indeed, you will have to attach the engine removal certificate to your file, circling the reason corresponding to the grounds for removal.

Buying or selling a pleasure boat between private individuals, transferring a boat engine, etc.

The Bateau-immatriculation.com advisers can take charge of the various administrative procedures to save you precious time. Get support for your next pleasure boat transfer of ownership, or for the purchase or sale of your boat engine!

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Online formalities: simplify the sale of your boat

The transfer of ownership formalities must be completed within a maximum of one month with Maritime Affairs.

Make your formalities easier by downloading a free boat bill of sale template and submitting your application online.

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