                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CERTIFICATE OF TITLE REQUIRED (§ 29.1-733.6)

A. No person shall operate a watercraft subject to titling under this chapter
unless the owner has applied to the Department for a certificate of title for
the watercraft or has been issued a valid temporary registration certificate as
provided for in § 29.1-703.1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections B
through E, the owner of a watercraft for which Virginia is the state of
principal use shall deliver to the Department an application for a certificate
of title for the watercraft, with the applicable fee, not later than 20 days
after the later of:

   1. The date of a transfer of ownership; or

   2. The date Virginia becomes the state of principal use.

B. An application for a certificate of title is not required for:

   1. A documented vessel;

   2. A foreign-documented vessel;

   3. A barge;

   4. A watercraft before delivery if the watercraft is under construction or
   completed pursuant to contract; or

   5. A watercraft held by a dealer for sale or lease.

C. A dealer transferring a watercraft required to be titled under this article
shall assign the title to the new owner or, in the case of a new watercraft,
assign the certificate of origin. The dealer shall forward all fees and
applications to the Department within 20 days of sale. Each dealer shall
maintain a record for six years of any watercraft he bought, sold, exchanged, or
received for sale or exchange. This record shall be available for inspection by
Department representatives during reasonable business hours.

D. No dealer shall purchase or acquire a new watercraft without obtaining from
the seller a certificate of origin. No manufacturer, importer, dealer, or other
person shall sell or otherwise dispose of a new watercraft to a dealer for
purposes of display and resale without delivering to the dealer a certificate of
origin. The certificate of origin shall be a uniform or standardized form
prescribed by the Department and shall contain:

   1. On the front, a description of the watercraft including its trade name, if
   any, year, series or model, body type, and manufacturer&#8217;s serial number;
   certification of date of transfer of watercraft and name and address of
   transferee; certification that this was the transfer of watercraft in ordinary
   trade and commerce; and the signature and address of a representative of the
   transferor; and

   2. On the reverse side, an assignment form, including the name and address of
   the transferee, a certification that the watercraft is new, and a warranty
   that the title at the time of delivery is subject only to such liens and
   encumbrances as set forth and described in full in the assignment.

E. The Department shall not issue, transfer, or renew pursuant to the
requirements of 46 U.S.C. &#xA7; 12301, as amended, a certificate of number for
a watercraft unless the Department has created a certificate of title for the
watercraft or an application for a certificate for the watercraft and the
applicable fee have been delivered to the Department. Any owner of a watercraft
that was not previously required to be titled and whose certificate of number
expires after January 1, 1998, shall apply for a certificate of title at the
time of renewal of the certificate of number.

HISTORY: 2013, c. 787.