Iowans will register more than 220,000 boats before April 30, when current boat registrations expire. Boat registrations are good for three years. Registration fees support boater education and safety, water trails, navigation enforcement and aquatic invasive species.
Boat owners may bring their current registration to any Iowa county recorder’s office when they renew. Nonresidents who register their boat in Iowa must go to the county where the boat is primarily used.
Owners who are registering a boat in their own name that they purchased from a private seller should bring the signed registration. Make sure the title is signed over to you, if applicable.
Only boats displaying a current registration decal are allowed to operate on Iowa waters.
Learn more about how to register your boat on the DNR website at https://www.iowadnr.gov/things-do/boating/registration.