Florida's "Sojourners permit" requirement for transient boats

[Norm]

To the collected wisdom of Team Sailfar...

I remember getting a warning in Florida about 5 years ago for not having a red sticker on the port side forward near where the numbers would have been if the boat had not been documented.  The cop said all the Southern States have a tax, of sorts, on transiting boats.  Proof of payment is the sticker. 

The owner nipped on down to the city hall and coughed up something like $25 for the red sticker.  He also coughed up $50 for the cabs!

Is that still the case?  Red stickers required?  Someone transiting the ICW to Key West might need to know.

Taxes and fees.  It isn't just the BVI.

[CapnK]

Never heard of that myself, Norm. Never even a whisper of any kind of 'transient tax' here in SC. So- Don't give them any ideas!  :o ::)

And as far as I know, the "Southern States" haven't acted in concert as a group like that for over 100 years, since shortly after that 'War of Northern Aggression' was finished. ;D So maybe that's just a Florida thing...?

[Joe Pyrat]

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to reach for you wallet without finding some guy from some government agency already has his hand in your pocket?  Taxation with representation ain't so great either...

Can you imagine the uproar if they tried to do that to people in cars?

Edit:  Found this.  The most interesting post is the last one.

http://www.cruisersnet.net/plugins/p2002_news/printarticle.php?p2002_articleid=65

[Captain Smollett]

My question is that if you are passing through and drop the hook for a while (somewhere in the state), how do they KNOW how long you've been there?

It's not like we've got stamped papers from the last State we left or a "date of entry" stamp for FL.

How can they tell a boat that's been there 91 days from one that's been there 2 days....if neither has the sticker?

Don't set up 'shop' in one area very long and stay under the radar..and let them rot on their wishful thinking of collecting blood money from travellers.

--Captain Smollett, subversive.

[CharlieJ]

Florida, like most other states, gives 90 days for a visiting boat before they need to register in Florida.

Been there 4  times in the last 5 or 6 years for up to 2 weeks at a time, with absolutely zero hassles on our Texas registration.

Your best bet for a real answer though, is to contact the Florida Marine Patrol in Tallahassee.

[s/v Faith]

  Florida, like most other states, gives 90 days for a visiting boat before they need to register in Florida.

  Been there 4  times in the last 5 or 6 years for up to 2 weeks at a time, with absolutely zero hassles on our Texas registration.

  Your best bet for a real answer though, is to contact the Florida Marine Patrol in Tallahassee.

The 'tax stamp' is called a "Sojourners permit"

Sojourners

A non-resident boater with a valid out-of-state registration certificate may use his/her vessel in Florida waters for 90 days without applying for a Florida registration. This law applies to pleasure boats only. If the non-resident intends to use the craft in Florida longer than 90 days, the boat must be registered with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which is processed at the Tax Collector's office.

  I have been a FL resident for about 20 years now.  IN that time, I have paid about...... zero dollars in state income tax.  The sales tax was not much more then other states I have lived in and my property tax is reasonable.  All things considered they have done very little to try to reach into my pockets. 

  The last thing I want to do is make any kind of a political statement here, but other states I have lived in have shown no restraint in this area... When in NC my annual boat registration was > 500% more in NC then in FL* and NC was merciles in taxing anyting they could think to tax.

  I once read that something like %30 of all boats in the country were registered or kept in were in the state of FL.   Many who live, and pay income tax elsewhere have vacation homes here and would avoid paying anyting for the use of the facilities here.

  As CJ points out, many (most) states have a 'grace period' after which you are required to register your boat, and your car for that matter if you are going to stay there.....  In FL it is a real issue especially with the number of boats.

  So much is said about FL in various online discussions.. I think there has been a REAL PROBLEM with FWC, and local officials and anchoring restrictions.  It is a little more understandable when you see the fleets of anchored derelect boats in many of the anchorages... they kind of ruin it for everyone.  I was astounded when we were coming south, we got to St Augustine and saw more anchored boats there then we had in any other place, from Annapois south.... and we saw more boats anchored there then some of the states we passed through combined.

  Not trying to make excuses, just trying to give a little perspective.

  * in NC IIRC I was paying $55 for my tag, in FL I have an antique vessel reg and pay ~$5 a year... I pay ~$10 for my dingy in FL.  Without the antique boat exemption I would pay $34, which is an increase this year.. the first increase in 10 years

[s/v Faith]

Since it kinda became it's own discusison I went ahead and split this off of Lynx's thread;Erie Canal east then south Key West FL  .

[Captain Smollett]

  * in NC IIRC I was paying $55 for my tag, in FL I have an antique vessel reg and pay ~$5 a year... I pay ~$10 for my dingy in FL.  Without the antique boat exemption I would pay $34, which is an increase this year.. the first increase in 10 years

???

NC Boat Registration

Been curious about the fees in NC, and I found the above link.  Am I wrong in understanding that that is $40 for three years?  That's only a bit over $13 per year...

[s/v Faith]

NC Boat Registration
Been curious about the fees in NC, and I found the above link.  Am I wrong in understanding that that is $40 for three years?  That's only a bit over $13 per year...

  Looking at the web site, I it looks like you are right.  As I said, I was going by memory.. not always great idea for a flake like me.  ;)  I might be remembering the tax/title I paid.... If I get a chance I will look for the paperwork. I did recall it was less in FL, which was a suprise to me.  I could have titled / registered the boat in FL when I got it, but choose NC because at the time I believed it would be cheaper... I was very pleasantly suprised to learn that FL charged me so little.

[Lynx]

There has been a lot of discusion of this in FL. Never heard of it being inforced in the last few years. To many FL boats in other states. I suggest that you get with SSCA on a FL Marina like Boot harbor in Marathon, FL.

[newt]

Faith,
How old does your boat have to be to qualify as a vintage boat? That seems like a sweet deal. Not that anyone here could not afford 34 dollars.... ;D

[s/v Faith]

Newt;

  Here is what the law says;

ANTIQUE VESSEL REGISTRATION FEE.--

(a)  A vessel that is at least 30 years old, used only for recreational purposes, and powered by the vessel's original-type power plant may be registered as an antique vessel........

  Original type being gas with gas, deisel with deisel, outboard, with outboard... etc.

[Toucantook]

Holy cow!!  I forgot about the antique boat biz!!  The next time Toucan hits the water, it's gonna be five bucks instead of 80!! Yeeeehaaa!!!