A Maryland boat bill of sale is a written record that a boat changed hands from a seller to a buyer. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) asks for one in some cases when you register a boat.[1.2] Maryland also makes it illegal to sell or purchase a vessel without the certificate of title.[1.1] Use the free template below to build one online or download the PDF.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Maryland law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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The Maryland DNR asks for a bill of sale when you register a boat in two situations. One is when the vessel is registered in a non-title state. The other is when the purchaser's name, the sale date or the price is missing from the assignment of title. In either case it asks for an original certified or notarized bill of sale.[1.2]
A boat sale in Maryland also involves these rules:
A certified bill of sale also sets the value used for the vessel excise tax. Under Md. Code, Nat. Res. § 8-716, for a vessel sold by anyone other than a licensed dealer, the value is the total purchase price if it is verified by a certified bill of sale approved by the Department that states the actual price paid. If no certified bill of sale accompanies the application, the valuation shown in a national publication of used vessel values adopted by the Department is used.[2.1]
A Maryland boat bill of sale must include the names of the buyer and the seller, the date of sale, the seller's signature, the purchase price and a description of the vessel.[1.2] The description gives the year, manufacturer and hull identification number (HIN) and/or the current registration number.[1.1] The table shows each item and where it sits on the FormsPal template.
A bill of sale must include the names of the buyer and the seller, date of sale, seller's signature, purchase price and vessel description (year, manufacturer, hull identification number and/or current registration number).
| Item | What the DNR lists | Where it is on the template |
| Buyer and seller | The names of the buyer and the seller | Sections 1 and 2, and the two name lines in Section 3 |
| Date of sale | The date of sale | The date line on page 1 and the purchase date in Section 4 |
| Seller's signature | The seller's signature | Section 6, Signatures |
| Purchase price | The purchase price | Section 4, Purchase Date, Purchase Price and Method |
| Vessel description | Year, manufacturer, hull identification number and/or current registration number | Section 3, Boat or Watercraft Description |
You can build the Maryland boat bill of sale online in a few minutes, or download the printable PDF and fill it in by hand. The template covers the parties, the boat, any trailer and motors, the price and payment terms, the signatures and a notary acknowledgment. Print it, sign it and keep a copy for your records.
More Maryland options are in our Maryland bill of sale forms. For other boat sales, see our boat bill of sale guide, or read about the basics of a bill of sale. If a notary will complete the acknowledgment, see our notary acknowledgement guide.
To fill out a Maryland boat bill of sale, work through the 14 parts of the FormsPal template from top to bottom. Use the online builder above, or download the PDF and complete it in the PDF editor before you print and sign it. Each step names the part of the template and shows where the answer goes.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Maryland boat bill of sale template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
In practice, many people sign two identical copies, so that the buyer and the seller each keep an original. The buyer needs that original, because the Maryland DNR asks for an original certified or notarized bill of sale if the purchaser's name, sale date or price is missing from the assignment of title.[1.2]
These answers come from the Maryland DNR boat registration pages. They cover the title, the bill of sale, notarization and lien releases when you buy or sell a boat in Maryland.[1.1]
The Maryland DNR says it is illegal to sell or purchase a vessel without the certificate of title, so the title is part of every boat sale.[1.1]
Maryland says it is illegal to sell or purchase a vessel without the certificate of title.[1.1] The bill of sale is a separate paper. The DNR asks for one when the vessel is registered in a non-title state or when the purchaser's name, sale date or price is missing from the assignment of title.[1.2]
The DNR asks for an original certified or notarized bill of sale if the purchaser's name, sale date or price is missing from the assignment of title. A certified bill of sale, which carries a declaration under penalty of perjury, is accepted in place of notarization.[1.1]
In Maryland the notarized bill of sale is tied to one situation, which is when the purchaser's name, sale date or price is missing from the assignment of title. In that case the DNR asks for an original certified or notarized bill of sale.[1.1]
Three Maryland rules apply to the paperwork:
General information, not legal or tax advice.
