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AZ Boat Registration Fees

richp5

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I do not wish to pay the luxury tax for my boat in California so I thought I'd register it in Arizona using my BHC address. The Kingman Fish & Game representative said they base the fees per foot so the cost for my 23 foot boat would be $259 a year. Currently it's only $29 for two years in California but $345 for the luxury tax. Appears to be about $100 savings but wanted to see if you all are paying that much in registration fees yearly or was it just increased due to a state budget problem. Thanx in advance for any responses.
 

BoatCop

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I do not wish to pay the luxury tax for my boat in California so I thought I'd register it in Arizona using my BHC address. The Kingman Fish & Game representative said they base the fees per foot so the cost for my 23 foot boat would be $259 a year. Currently it's only $29 for two years in California but $345 for the luxury tax. Appears to be about $100 savings but wanted to see if you all are paying that much in registration fees yearly or was it just increased due to a state budget problem. Thanx in advance for any responses.

Registration fees were increased 3 years ago. Has nothing to do with the current economic state. The prior rates were put in place in the early '80s and hadn't been increased since.
 

Echo Lodge

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Another question. If I were to purchase a used boat in CA and wanted to then register it in AZ how much would I be taxed on the purchase? I am trying to avoid the 10 % tax rate in CA.

Non-Residents
12' or less: $100
12'1" to 16': $110
16'1" to 20': $222
20'1" to 26': $259
26'1" to 39': $292
39'1" to 64': $330
64'1" and longer: $495
In addition, there is a $4 fee to transfer a registration.

Is this all I would have to pay?
 

BoatCop

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Another question. If I were to purchase a used boat in CA and wanted to then register it in AZ how much would I be taxed on the purchase? I am trying to avoid the 10 % tax rate in CA.

Non-Residents
12' or less: $100
12'1" to 16': $110
16'1" to 20': $222
20'1" to 26': $259
26'1" to 39': $292
39'1" to 64': $330
64'1" and longer: $495
In addition, there is a $4 fee to transfer a registration.

Is this all I would have to pay?

That's it. No sales tax, unless it's a new or used boat purchased in AZ from a dealer, or purchased from a dealer in CA and sales tax was NOT paid at the time of purchase.
 

RyanPartridge

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If you really want to save a buck...

You could get an Arizona Drivers License using you BHC address and now your registration fees are $35 bucks a year. :thumbsup
 

Echo Lodge

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That's it. No sales tax, unless it's a new or used boat purchased in AZ from a dealer, or purchased from a dealer in CA and sales tax was NOT paid at the time of purchase.

Thanks... If its a private party purchase on a boat currently registered in CA and I take the CA title to AZ to register it, AZ does not care if CA taxes were paid in CA then. Got it!
 

Lavey5150

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292.00 for AZ tags Fuk Ca. and their Lux tax.
 

Echo Lodge

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292.00 for AZ tags Fuk Ca. and their Lux tax.

Lets say you buy a 50k used boat. You then get to pay 5k in sales tax. That is what really hurts. Then in a year you get hit with the Lux tax. Fun stuff.
 

BoatCop

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If you really want to save a buck...

You could get an Arizona Drivers License using you BHC address and now your registration fees are $35 bucks a year. :thumbsup

Takes more than that. They cross reference registrations to AZ Income Tax. If there's no record of filing income taxes in AZ, they will require more evidence of being a "resident", rather than just a property owner.
 

purrfecttremor

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Alan as usual knows what he is talking about. Takes more tha being a property owner in AZ.
 

Abc123

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Fuck Game and Fish! :skull

I showed up there with the boat on Friday July 31st to buy my tags. Because the old owner didn't pay for them in 2008. We were using the boat that weekend (first trip). Well since I was still in the 2008 year they made me pay for 08 and 09 to register the boat. Unless I wanted to wait until The next monday. It was 4pm on friday (8 more hours left in the reg year) and they made me for 08! I didnt have a choice because I wanted to launch that weekend and the boat had 07 tags. So it cost me somewhere around $550. Fuck that place. Crooks!
 

AEA

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Fuck Game and Fish! :skull

I showed up there with the boat on Friday July 31st to buy my tags. Because the old owner didn't pay for them in 2008. We were using the boat that weekend (first trip). Well since I was still in the 2008 year they made me pay for 08 and 09 to register the boat. Unless I wanted to wait until The next monday. It was 4pm on friday (8 more hours left in the reg year) and they made me for 08! I didnt have a choice because I wanted to launch that weekend and the boat had 07 tags. So it cost me somewhere around $550. Fuck that place. Crooks!

Sounds like the problem was the prior owners failure to pay, not Game and Fish.
 

Abc123

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Sounds like the problem was the prior owners failure to pay, not Game and Fish.

True. However charging me $260 to register my boat for one day is bullshit. They shouldn't given me the option to pay for my registration that would go into affect the next day (beginning of new year). The fucked up part is I was told on the phone 3 days prior that I could do that. Then I drive up there and its not the case. I would've postponed our river trip one more week to save the money.

The previous owner said she would cut me a check. Of course, Ive never received anything in the mail
 

BoatCop

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True. However charging me $260 to register my boat for one day is bullshit. They shouldn't given me the option to pay for my registration that would go into affect the next day (beginning of new year). The fucked up part is I was told on the phone 3 days prior that I could do that. Then I drive up there and its not the case. I would've postponed our river trip one more week to save the money.

The previous owner said she would cut me a check. Of course, Ive never received anything in the mail

How long had you owned the boat before you took it to Game & Fish? were you appling for change of ownership at the same time?

The law requires that when you buy a boat, you have to change ownership withiin 15 days. If you change ownership within the 15 days, you won't have to worry about old registration fees.

If the bill of sale and/or signed off registration form was dated more than 15 days prior, then yes, you would be responsible for lapsed registration fees.
 

Echo Lodge

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Ok, I just found out the boat I am looking at is currently registered in AZ as a non-resident. So if I were to buy it I would still need to change the title in AZ and all should be good right? No CA sales tax?
 

BoatCop

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Ok, I just found out the boat I am looking at is currently registered in AZ as a non-resident. So if I were to buy it I would still need to change the title in AZ and all should be good right? No CA sales tax?

Yes. You would need to change the registration in AZ. No title issued in AZ. No sales tax required in CA or in AZ, if you keep it registered in AZ.

You can do it all by mail. Download the forms here:

http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/WatercraftRegistration.shtml
 

Echo Lodge

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Yes. You would need to change the registration in AZ. No title issued in AZ. No sales tax required in CA or in AZ, if you keep it registered in AZ.

You can do it all by mail. Download the forms here:

http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/WatercraftRegistration.shtml

Guess the last thing I need clarified is if the boat was originally purchased in CA, then registered in AZ and AZ doesn't issue titles.... Does that mean I will have issues when I buy it and have to change the CA title?
 

VoodooMedMan

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Shouldn't. There is an ownership transfer section on the registration much the same as on a California title.
Guess the last thing I need clarified is if the boat was originally purchased in CA, then registered in AZ and AZ doesn't issue titles.... Does that mean I will have issues when I buy it and have to change the CA title?
 

BoatCop

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Guess the last thing I need clarified is if the boat was originally purchased in CA, then registered in AZ and AZ doesn't issue titles.... Does that mean I will have issues when I buy it and have to change the CA title?

You'll surrender the CA title to AZGFD when you register it here. The boat can't be titled in CA and registered in AZ. It's one or the other.
 

teded

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Original cast of "The Hangover"
 

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Echo Lodge

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You'll surrender the CA title to AZGFD when you register it here. The boat can't be titled in CA and registered in AZ. It's one or the other.

Thanks for the info! Now I just need to find the huevos to buy:):)
 

Abc123

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How long had you owned the boat before you took it to Game & Fish? were you appling for change of ownership at the same time?

The law requires that when you buy a boat, you have to change ownership withiin 15 days. If you change ownership within the 15 days, you won't have to worry about old registration fees.

If the bill of sale and/or signed off registration form was dated more than 15 days prior, then yes, you would be responsible for lapsed registration fees.

I bought the boat 4 days before I went to Game and Fish..So thats interesting. The boat was registered in AZ all of its life.

So should I be making a phone call to Game and Fish?
 
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BoatCop

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I bought the boat 4 days before I went to Game and Fish..So thats interesting. The boat was registered in AZ all of its life.

So should I be making a phone call to Game and Fish?

Call the main office in Phoenix. (602-942-3000) Press zero for the operator and ask for Libby in Watercraft registration. Explain what happened. They won't be able to give you any refund but MAY (I emphasize MAY) be able to give you a credit, or extend the current registration period.

I'll bet you originally went to a satellite office and not to Phoenix?
 

69 1/2

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Document it, the state will not even know you own it.

From CA website. A documented vessel is registered and issued a marine certificate by the U.S. Coast Guard. It does not require DMV registration.

Oh yea, renewal of documentation each year costs a grand total of nothing $$.
 

Singleton

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Document it, the state will not even know you own it.

From CA website. A documented vessel is registered and issued a marine certificate by the U.S. Coast Guard. It does not require DMV registration.

Oh yea, renewal of documentation each year costs a grand total of nothing $$.

Thinking of doing this. Any negatives to this approach?
I am thinking if documented, port would be Havasu, then I would not have to pay CA or AZ registration and maybe get out of the CA lux tax. Am I thinking correctly.
 

BoatCop

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Thinking of doing this. Any negatives to this approach?
I am thinking if documented, port would be Havasu, then I would not have to pay CA or AZ registration and maybe get out of the CA lux tax. Am I thinking correctly.

Here's the info on Federal Documentation.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/default.asp

Boat must be 5 net tons. Generally monohull boats over 25 feet will meet the requirement. Cats, will need to be a little longer.

Net tons is the weight of water displaced, NOT the weight of the boat.
Here is the form used to determine net tonnage.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/msc/docs/CG-5397.pdf

As far as getting out of CA Luxury Tax, you will still be required to pay the tax if the boat is Documented as recreational. If the tax man discovers you have the boat and haven't paid taxes on it, stand by to pay BIG TIME. The only difference is that the CG doesn't care if you've paid the tax or not. Unlike CA DMV.
 
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Here's the info on Federal Documentation.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/default.asp

Boat must be 5 net tons. Generally monohull boats over 25 feet will meet the requirement. Cats, will need to be a little longer.

Net tons is the weight of water displaced, NOT the weight of the boat.
Here is the form used to determine net tonnage.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/msc/docs/CG-5397.pdf

As far as getting out of CA Luxury Tax, you will still be required to pay the tax if the boat is Documented as recreational. If the tax man discovers you have the boat and haven't paid taxes on it, stand by to pay BIG TIME. The only difference is that the CG doesn't care if you've paid the tax or not. Unlike CA DMV.

With the internet being available to just about anybody these days, I'll bet some company will develop a program to sort through all the data, and print out tax bills at the same time, and contract through the state to find those who have done this:grumble: The'll start with the million dollar plus boats first, and work there way down:grumble:
 

Abc123

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Call the main office in Phoenix. (602-942-3000) Press zero for the operator and ask for Libby in Watercraft registration. Explain what happened. They won't be able to give you any refund but MAY (I emphasize MAY) be able to give you a credit, or extend the current registration period.

I'll bet you originally went to a satellite office and not to Phoenix?

Yea I went to Kingman. It was the least out of the way choice for my drive from So Cal to Needles.
 
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