For Immediate Release

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003

Click Here for Additional Fee Information

Boat Registration Renewal Cards Tout Online Option

Boaters with an "03" registration sticker on their boat will soon be getting their courtesy registration renewal notice card in the mail. The Marine Board is mailing 99,368 cards on November 3.

"Boaters will notice two important things," said Randy Henry, information representative for the Marine Board. "First will be the new fee structure, second will be the option for registering their boat online."

The new fee structure was passed by the 2003 Oregon Legislature. "It's a simplified flat rate of $3 per foot or portion of foot for the boat, no matter the type," said Henry. "It's fairer - the larger the boat, the larger the fee - and it will provided needed revenue to address the backlog of boating facility maintenance and improvement projects. Funds will also be used to improve marine law enforcement services across the state." All funds generated by the increase are dedicated to recreational boating, said Henry.

The online registration option will be new to most boaters, though it was tested last spring with good success. This option allows the boater to go online using the information on their reminder card and pay by credit card. Once the transaction is complete, the boater then prints out a temporary operating permit that is good until the boat's new stickers arrive in the mail. "Of course, the boater can still renew through the mail or visit a registration agent like they have in the past," said Henry.

There are several significant advantages to the online renewal. "One is for the boater - you've got your temporary permit immediately," said Henry. "The other is for the Marine Board. The process is all electronic so it's much faster. Also, we're not trying to decipher handwriting so we're finding it's more accurate. Tags are mailed within days instead of weeks, so the entire process occurs with less expense to the Marine Board and better turnaround for the customer."

Additional information on the fee structure and the online registration can be found at the Marine Board's website, www.boatoregon.com, or by calling (503) 378-8587.

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Additional Fee Information

The new fee structure is a flat rate $3 per foot and each portion of a foot for all motorboats and sail boats greater than 12 feet. A 16-foot motorboat will now cost $48 for a two-year registration; a 17-foot motorboat will cost $51. A 17-foot 6-inch boat will count as an 18-foot boat.

Fee increase is effective November 1, 2003. These fees will translate directly into improved boating facilities, law enforcement and educational efforts. Here is information related to the fee increase.

Since the Marine Board's inception in 1959, boaters have seen only one registration fee increase (a $2 increase) in 1997. The new fee structure represents an increase, but fees still compare favorably to neighboring states.

Fees for 18-foot boat valued at $10,000

State	Registration (biennial)	Sales Tax (at purchase)	Property Tax (annual fee)	Total
Oregon	$54	0	0	$54
Idaho	$50	$500	0	$550
Nevada	$60	$425	0	$485
Washington	??	$650	$50	$700
California	$10	??	$575	$585

Fees for new titles and replacement titles also increase to $30, and replacement decals now cost $10.

OSMB is funded entirely by user fees, receiving no general fund or other tax dollars. Because boat registration numbers have remained flat, the board has absorbed reduced revenues for seven years, cutting back on boating facilities development and maintenance. The fee increase was necessary to reverse this trend.

Without the fee increase, the Board would have cut nearly $1.3 million from the 2003-05 budget. This meant further reductions in grants for construction or maintenance of boating facilities, reduced law enforcement and a large cut in education and outreach activities.

The fee increase is already serving boaters by funding numerous facility maintenance and construction projects across the state. Law enforcement will spend more time on the water. Marine Board staff will have the resources to more quickly and efficiently process title and registration transactions and maintain records. New education campaigns will help make boating safer and more environmentally friendly.

Despite the increased cost, registering a boat in Oregon is, by far, the cheapest part of owning a boat. Boaters will see direct benefits making boating safer, easier and more enjoyable long into the future.