Registration and Titling in Oklahoma
To operate any motorized vessel on Oklahoma waters, including canoes, kayaks, or paddleboats powered by any means other than human power, it must be registered and display valid registration decals. Boat registrations are required to be renewed every one or three years by the end of June. Outboard motors in excess of 10 horsepower must be registered separately from the boat.
Vessels exempt from registration:
- Human-powered canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats.
- Vessels that are properly registered in another state and are using Oklahoma waters for a maximum of 60 consecutive days.
- Vessels or outboard motors owned by the U.S. government, or any state or agency or subdivision of that state.
- Ship’s lifeboats or boat used exclusively for racing purposes.
The current registration for the boat and outboard motor (if applicable) must be kept on board and readily available for inspection by a law enforcement officer whenever the vessel is in operation.
Boats are required to be registered and titled within 30 days of ownership.
Titling
All vessels that require registration must also be titled in Oklahoma.
You must display your boat number in the following manner:
- Painted on or permanently attached to each side of the bow.
- Using BLOCK letters at least three inches high and of one solid color contrasting sharply with the color of your boat.
- To read from left to right; letters and numbers must be separated by either a space or a hyphen, for example, OK-1234-XZ or OK 1234 XZ.
- No other numbers may be displayed.
Larger recreational vessels may be documented with the US Coast Guard. In this case they must be registered, but not titled. They must display a current boat sticker on the vessel. The current registration must be carried in the vessel when in operation.
