Virginia yacht visiting Florida

I've been a liveaboard on my trawler in Virginia for a couple years. My boat has a Coast Guard documentation number, but no Virginia state registration numbers or decals on the hull. How long can I visit Florida this winter before they start asking me for some kind of fee based Florida boat registration/tax? Thanks.

90 days or you have to purchase a Sojourner's Permit, or register your boat in FL permanently, from what I see.

Has anyone experienced or heard of someone being questioned and or fined for being in Florida without Florida's temporary registration ( Sojourners Permit)? There has been much discussion, opinion and speculation on this topic.

Without any registration sticker, you might be stopped, questioned and ticketed as soon as you are in FL waters the way I have seen the law written.

seattleboatguy said:

I've been a liveaboard on my trawler in Virginia for a couple years. My boat has a Coast Guard documentation number, but no Virginia state registration numbers or decals on the hull. How long can I visit Florida this winter before they start asking me for some kind of fee based Florida boat registration/tax? Thanks.

Click to expand...

From the "Division of Motorist Services"

IIRC the first 90 days are cheap at $25, but the next 90 are another $275. Still, it’s 6 months total and a lot cheaper than the alternative.

We are also a documented vessel but we live in Florida, so we pay the registration fee and display the sticker.

Woodland Hills said:

IIRC the first 90 days are cheap at $25, but the next 90 are another $275. Still, it’s 6 months total and a lot cheaper than the alternative.

We are also a documented vessel but we live in Florida, so we pay the registration fee and display the sticker.

Click to expand...

Woodland, I have never heard of the $25 fee for first 90 days. In 2016 we paid $127 in Marathon for the permit. People pay different fees based on the county they register in. Some counties Jack the fees up.

seattleboatguy said:

I've been a liveaboard on my trawler in Virginia for a couple years. My boat has a Coast Guard documentation number, but no Virginia state registration numbers or decals on the hull. How long can I visit Florida this winter before they start asking me for some kind of fee based Florida boat registration/tax? Thanks.

Click to expand...

Are you going to be returning to VA? If so, I'd register the boat there as VA is about as cheap as it gets. It's not required but many Virginians with documented vessels do it, to make boating in other states easier. Every state between VA and FL can question you and even require you to register.

fryedaze said:

Has anyone experienced or heard of someone being questioned and or fined for being in Florida without Florida's temporary registration ( Sojourners Permit)? There has been much discussion, opinion and speculation on this topic.

Click to expand...

I knew of a boat and owner who spent 15 seasons nov thru april in south FL without a problem

That sounds like a very evasive statement, Sir. Can I see some identification and a license, please?

Someone here has a sig line about what someone got away with.

I wouldn't admit it either if it was me.

Actually since I've been reading here I am formulating a plan to be a boat bum. No registration, anchor off with good fishing, easy access to dink your way in for some breakfast, library, or maybe the bar to watch the sunset … sounds like the life.

I might get fat living on a boat.

If yours is an older boat with original engines, you might look into Florida registration as an antique /classic. Our 1986 Cheoy Lee 40 cost less to register in Fla than did our dink. We are also a documented vessel.
JohnS

Been in FL since 09 as a live aboard. I have never heard of problems. Living in Marinas for so long, if the Laws were being enforced, I would know, my friends that are on staff would know, the people passing (transients) through would know.

Illegal here as above described until 2013. Both coast, no problems. FL, as many states have a lot of laws that are not enforced. FL is NOT in the business of running tourist off. Just tell em you are passing through. Have your safety gear, proper documentation, VA registration might be OK as an extra and have your boat sanitary system legal. Do not piss off the questioning officer. You will be fine.

John in post 11 has a valid point also.

OR just register it in the Caymans and tell em you are a Rich Trump White House Offical, like Betsy DeVoss.

If you go 3+ miles offshore to do some fishing once every 90 days (leaving Florida waters) you shouldn't need the sojourners permit, right?

bobbyp said:

If you go 3+ miles offshore to do some fishing once every 90 days (leaving Florida waters) you shouldn't need the sojourners permit, right?

Click to expand...

How will you provide proof? A recording of your AIS and nav track? Better to leave the state, buy fuel and save the receipt.....

Woodland Hills said:

How will you provide proof? A recording of your AIS and nav track? Better to leave the state, buy fuel and save the receipt.....

Click to expand...

Keep a proper ships log...Let them prove otherwise. Ships log is a legal Document.

Seems like a lot of hoops to go through and to plan your life around simply avoiding a fee. Maybe that is what retirement is like?

From what I understand, you need to get yourself to the county's DMV, and every county has a different fee for the permit. Probably have to bring paperwork and no doubt you'll be missing one document or one sticker that the clerk wants to see.


If you are going to be offshore anyway you might as well make sure you get 3 miles out and not have to sit at some DMV office filling out paperwork.


My online searching shows a 40ft boat is ~$200 for a 6 month permit - depending on county.


$200 plus ? hours at the DMV - easier to head an extra 20 minutes east.

Sailor of Fortune said:

Keep a proper ships log...Let them prove otherwise. Ships log is a legal Document.

Click to expand...

I am sure it is, in Maritime Court. Does it carry the same weight in Tax Court?

Besides, whenever I’ve been audited, the burden of proof was on me and not on them. I had to present documentation to prove my claims and not vice versa.

Now, if you are actually going out beyond the limit of state authority (is it really only 3 1/2 miles?) for the appropriate time period (24hrs?) and can corroborate your log with additional evidence (fuel bills, eyewitnesses etc), that is one thing. But it seems to me that a paper log book with nothing to back it up is no different than an expense account sheet with no receipts in the eyes of a tax collector.

3 miles is state suthority and while a log "may" be proof enough...the standard of proof is a bridge tender log or receipts (that make sense time/distance wise)....

A log for a commercial vessel may carry more weight.....but thats just a guess.

psneeld said:

3 miles is state suthority and while a log "may" be proof enough...the standard of proof is a bridge tender log or receipts (that make sense time/distance wise)....

A log for a commercial vessel may carry more weight.....but thats just a guess.

Click to expand...

I believe some of them have rules that you must leave the state and define that by actually landing somewhere else. They consider anything else to just be transiting. I know the US and FL treat it that way for foreign flagged boats. They can't just run 20 miles off shore. That's why many run to Bimini.

There are sometimes hidden benefits to registration. One state's registration may prevent problems in another. For instance, registration in Florida might save one from a property tax assessment in another state since boats in FL are not subject to property tax.

An example of good choice might be paying $128 to register in FL vs $45 for VA, but avoiding VA property tax on the boat.

Could you just show your tickets to Epcot and say you visited Germany???

Marlinmike said:

Could you just show your tickets to Epcot and say you visited Germany???

Click to expand...

Only if you left the boat in the parking lot at Epcot.......

BandB said:

Are you going to be returning to VA? If so, I'd register the boat there as VA is about as cheap as it gets. It's not required but many Virginians with documented vessels do it, to make boating in other states easier. Every state between VA and FL can question you and even require you to register.

Click to expand...

I live in Texas and there is no advantage to being unregistered. The fee is small and unless you have a problem with the numbers on the hull, there is no reason not to register. My last 2 boats were documented but I also had the reg. numbers because it saved me the hassle of being pulled over.

Seems like a lot of stress to avoid paying a couple hundred bucks!!!

dhays said:

Seems like a lot of hoops to go through and to plan your life around simply avoiding a fee. Maybe that is what retirement is like?

Click to expand...

You got me thinking about my retirement goats … err, goals.