Administrative procedures for a boat buyer, owner or seller

What administrative steps must a boater take when purchasing a vessel, or when owning or selling a boat? Do the same formalities apply to a new or used vessel, bought in France or abroad?

The Bateau-immatriculation.com team presents all the boat administrative procedures to be completed as a buyer, owner, or seller of a vessel.

When purchasing a boat, the seller and buyer of a boat must jointly complete a Bill of Sale for a Pleasure Craft. The document is filled out in several copies depending on the characteristics of the vessel (1 per party + 1 for the authorities, i.e. 3 copies for a sale between 1 buyer and 1 seller). It is up to the buyer to communicate the information to the relevant departments.

When selling a jointly-owned boat, the procedures to follow are the same, but all co-owning sellers or buyers must sign the document.

If the sale concerns only a share of the boat, only the co-owner concerned is required to sign the bill of sale with the new buyer.

The buyer of a boat is required to declare the purchase of their vessel to the relevant authorities within one month of the transaction.

When a boater buys a boat, changes to its home port or name, for example, must be declared to the authorities. Once again, the professionals at Bateau-immatriculation.com can assist you with all the administrative changes you wish to make.

All vessels with a hull length of 2.50 metres or more whose owners wish to sail at sea, or at sea and in inland waters, must be registered.

For inland waterway navigation, registration concerns boats up to 5 m with an engine power of 4.5 kW or more, or vessels between 5 and 20 m in length with a displacement of less than 100 m³. It is precisely the boat registration procedure that allows the boater to obtain a Certificate of Registration and a registration number corresponding to their registration! Without this, they are not authorized to navigate. Beyond a fine, the insurance issue is paramount!

For the purchase of a boat, in France or abroad, flying a European flag, the new owner must complete all the previously mentioned steps, with some additional specificities depending on the flag of origin. If he acquires a vessel with a hull length greater than 7.50 m purchased within the European Union, the buyer will also have to justify the regularity of his tax situation, by obtaining an Intracommunity Acquisition Certificate, more commonly known as a Quitus fiscal for boats.

When purchasing a boat registered in a non-EU country, the new owner must complete certain additional steps: they will need to follow the import and customs clearance procedure for the vessel, which involves regularizing import taxes and VAT, and providing a Certificate of Deletion from the foreign flag and a Customs Clearance Certificate.

There are two scenarios to distinguish here:

• Motorboats, sailboats, and jet skis (PWCs) built before June 16, 1998

These constructions must systematically be accompanied by a written declaration of conformity, a key document certifying the vessel's CE marking. This is provided that the purchased boat was intended to be placed on the European market from its construction. If this is not the case, the new owner will imperatively need to resort to a PCA (post construction assessment) to "bring their boat into compliance" and obtain the CE marking.

This procedure is costly and can only be carried out by a notified body. Other European bodies can also intervene; make sure to verify their accreditation before starting the procedure.

• Motorboats, sailboats, and jet skis (PWCs) built after June 16, 1998

A more delicate situation, boats built without CE marking have three options:

1. - Prove that the boat has been registered under a European flag at least once since its construction (NO, Great Britain is not accepted). By reciprocity, the targeted European flag will agree to register the vessel.
2. - If not, recourse to a PCA (procedure explained above) will be necessary.
3. - Opt for a flag that accepts boats without CE marking.

If applicable, the buyer is informed of their duty to pay the Annual Tax on Recreational Maritime Vessels (TAEMP). This applies whether the vessel flies a French or foreign flag, regardless of the navigation area. The taxpayer is any owner of a recreational boat who is a tax resident in France or lives there for more than 6 months of the year.

The following are concerned:

• Boats registered at sea only
• Vessels for personal use with a hull length equal to or greater than 7 m
• Those with an administrative engine power equal to or greater than 22 HP
• Personal watercraft (PWC) with a real propulsion power greater than or equal to 90 kW

To find out the amount of your DAFN, we invite you to use our dedicated calculation page.

The Annual Tax on Pleasure Craft (TAEMP), formerly known as DAFN (annual francisation and navigation fee), is not requested upon vessel registration, but is due annually from all concerned boat owners.

The tax is paid annually, starting from the first year of registration. Some boats may be exempt or qualify for a reduction. It is important to remember that the owner registered on January 1st is liable for the tax.

Only boats registered during the year coming from a foreign flag, or previously registered in inland waters, will have to pay the tax upon registration on a pro rata basis (registration in June = 6 months of tax to be paid)

The owner of a boat is required to report any change in status.
Thus, formalities must be completed to change the pleasure boater's address, the vessel's port of registry, or the shore contact on the Certificate of Registry. We can assist you with all these administrative procedures!

In the event of loss or theft, administrative procedures allow the owner of a boat to obtain, for example, a duplicate of their pleasure craft license or the reissuance of their vessel's registration certificate.

Throughout the period a boat is owned, the registration of new nautical equipment may also be necessary: while obtaining a radio license is mandatory for the use of a VHF on board, whether fixed or mobile, the boater must complete specific formalities to report a change in the event of acquiring new equipment.

When selling a boat, both parties – seller(s) and buyer(s) – are responsible for completing and signing the bill of sale.

The seller of a boat can declare the transfer of ownership of their vessel. The bill of sale for the vessel will finalize the transaction and definitively validate the purchase when the buyer completes their own formalities.

We can handle the formalities for transferring ownership.

It is recommended that the seller complete these formalities quickly to disclaim their own responsibility as soon as possible in case of a problem... and no longer be liable for the TAEMUP for the vessel concerned!