Boat Registration and Renewal in Tennessee: A Gallatin and Sumner County Guide

Tennessee boat registration is handled by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, while a county clerk or Tennessee boat dealer certifies sales-tax information for most first-time registrations. Mechanically powered vessels, including boats with electric trolling motors, and sailboats principally used in Tennessee must be registered before operating on public water. Existing Tennessee registrations can be renewed online through GoOutdoorsTennessee. Sumner County owners can get local sales-tax and certification help from the County Clerk in Gallatin.

If you own a motorized boat, personal watercraft or sailboat that is principally used in Tennessee, you generally must register it with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency before using it on Tennessee public waters. That includes vessels powered by electric trolling motors. Boats powered only by oars or paddles do not require Tennessee registration.

For Gallatin and Sumner County residents, the process has two separate parts:

• TWRA issues the Tennessee vessel registration, certificate of number and decals.
• The Sumner County Clerk or a Tennessee boat dealer certifies sales-tax information for most first-time registrations.

Existing Tennessee registrations can be renewed online through the state’s GoOutdoorsTennessee vessel-registration portal.

> Last verified: August 15, 2026. This guide uses current Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Sumner County Clerk information. Registration fees, office procedures and online requirements can change.

Quick answer for Gallatin and Sumner County boat owners

For a first-time Tennessee registration

1. Get a certified Application for Boat Certificate of Number from a Tennessee county clerk or the dealer that sold you the boat.
2. Bring the required bill of sale and vessel information to the Sumner County Clerk if you bought the boat from an individual.
3. Have the application certified to show that sales tax was paid or properly accounted for.
4. Submit the certified application and payment through GoOutdoorsTennessee or to a TWRA regional office.
5. Keep the yellow temporary registration if one is issued. TWRA says it may be used for up to 60 days after certification while the application is processed.

For a renewal

Log in to the GoOutdoorsTennessee vessel-registration portal, select the vessel already registered in your name, pay with an accepted debit or credit card and save the confirmation. TWRA says the online system allows owners to manage current records, check pending applications and renew existing registrations.

Which boats must be registered in Tennessee?

Tennessee requires registration for:

• Mechanically powered vessels.
• Boats with electric trolling motors.
• Sailboats principally used in Tennessee.
• Federally documented recreational vessels, which TWRA specifically includes in its registration guidance.

A boat powered only by oars or paddles does not require Tennessee vessel registration. Boats currently registered in another state may use Tennessee waters unless Tennessee has become the boat’s state of principal use.

The state of principal use is generally the state where the vessel is used or intended to be used most during the calendar year, whether the boat is moored or underway. If you have recently moved a boat to Tennessee, contact the county clerk and TWRA before assuming an out-of-state registration is sufficient.

How to register a boat for the first time

Step 1: Gather the ownership and vessel information

The paperwork depends on how you obtained the boat.

If you bought the boat from a private seller, Sumner County says you should bring a bill of sale signed by both the seller and purchaser. TWRA’s guidance says the bill of sale should include:

• Date of sale
• Purchase price
• Vessel year, make and model
• Hull Identification Number, or HIN
• Names, addresses, telephone numbers and signatures of both buyer and seller

If the boat was purchased from a Tennessee dealer, the dealer generally provides the application with the sales-tax certification.

If you owned the boat in another state and are moving it to Tennessee, bring documentation showing that you were the registered owner. If applicable, also bring proof that sales tax was paid in the other state so Tennessee can consider credit for taxes already paid. TWRA says the taxable basis is the boat’s fair-market value on the date it was moved to Tennessee.

Step 2: Complete the sales-tax certification

Tennessee’s Department of Revenue requires boats that have never been registered to you before to include certification that sales tax was paid when the boat was purchased. The Sumner County Clerk collects applicable tax on private boat transactions and certifies the information for TWRA. A Tennessee boat dealer can make the certification when the boat is purchased from that dealer.

The Sumner County Clerk’s office is at:

Sumner County Clerk

355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111

Gallatin, TN 37066

Phone: 615-452-4063

The county clerk’s website currently lists boat-registration information and identifies the office as the local point of contact for private-sale boat sales-tax transactions. Call before visiting if your purchase involves an out-of-state registration, unusual ownership documents, a low sale price or a missing HIN.

Step 3: Check the Hull Identification Number

Boats built after 1972 generally must have a properly formatted 12-character HIN. TWRA says the HIN is commonly found on the upper right outside corner of sport and fishing boats, on the right-side frame of pontoons, or beneath the seat or near the footrest on personal watercraft. Boats built or imported before 1973 are exempt from the HIN requirement because many do not have one.

If the HIN is missing, damaged, incorrectly formatted or no longer affixed to the vessel, TWRA may require photographs showing the relevant area of the boat. Resolve HIN problems before submitting an application whenever possible.

Step 4: Submit the application to TWRA

After the county clerk or dealer certifies the application, you can submit it through the GoOutdoorsTennessee online registration portal or take it to a TWRA regional office. TWRA says online applicants need a customer profile, date of birth, last name, a second identifying item such as a TWRA number, the last four digits of a Social Security number or a driver-license number, plus an email address and telephone number for online transactions.

TWRA says online applicants receive approval or a request for additional information by email within seven days. Keep copies or photographs of the application, bill of sale, sales-tax documentation and payment confirmation.

How to renew a Tennessee boat registration

Renewal is generally simpler when the vessel is already registered in your name.

1. Open the official GoOutdoorsTennessee vessel-registration portal from TWRA’s boating page.
2. Sign in to your TWRA customer profile.
3. Select the existing vessel and review the registration information.
4. Choose the available registration period.
5. Pay with an accepted debit or credit card.
6. Save or print the confirmation and keep the registration documentation on the vessel as required.

TWRA’s online system is intended for renewing existing registrations in the owner’s name. A renewal does not replace the need to correct an ownership problem, sales-tax issue or invalid HIN. TWRA warns that registrations with invalid HIN information may eventually be rejected for renewals or new-owner applications.

If the vessel does not appear in your account, the ownership information has changed or the online transaction requests additional documents, contact the TWRA Boat Registration office at 615-781-5270 or email [email protected] before submitting duplicate applications.

Tennessee boat registration fees

Tennessee registration fees depend on vessel length and the registration period. The current fee schedule published in the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency rules and boating handbook is:

Vessel length — One year — Two years — Three years

16 feet and under — $18 — $34 — $50

Over 16 feet to less than 26 feet — $35 — $68 — $101

26 feet to less than 40 feet — $54 — $102 — $153

40 feet and over — $72 — $138 — $203

These are the state vessel-registration fees. A first-time private sale may also involve sales tax and county-clerk transaction or certification requirements. Ask the Sumner County Clerk or dealer for the total amount due for your specific transaction.

TWRA also lists a $9 duplicate fee in the current rules for a replacement certificate. Confirm the current amount before paying because state fees are subject to change.

Sumner County contacts and local options

For a Gallatin-area boat owner, start with the agency that matches the task:

Task — Responsible office — Best starting point

First-time registration application and state registration — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — TWRA boating page and GoOutdoorsTennessee portal

Private-sale sales tax and application certification — Sumner County Clerk — 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 111, Gallatin; 615-452-4063

Dealer-purchased boat sales-tax certification — Tennessee boat dealer — Ask the dealer to confirm the application is certified

Registration questions or HIN problems — TWRA Boat Registration — 615-781-5270 or [email protected]

Local boating access information — City of Gallatin Parks and Recreation — Lock 4 Park and the city’s boating resources

Gallatin’s Lock 4 Park provides boat access to Old Hickory Lake, with listed access points at 1054 Lock 4 Road, 1302 Lock 4 Road and The Point at 1598 Lock 4 Road. Registration is handled by TWRA, not by the park. Check the city’s current park information before launching for access conditions and facility details.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Going to the county clerk expecting the clerk to issue the registration. The clerk handles sales-tax and certification functions; TWRA issues the vessel registration.
• Bringing an incomplete private-sale bill of sale. Include the date, price, vessel description, HIN and both parties’ contact information and signatures.
• Assuming every boat needs the same paperwork. Dealer purchases, private sales and boats moved from another state have different documentation needs.
• Ignoring the HIN. Missing or incorrectly formatted HIN information can delay an application or create problems during a later renewal.
• Using an old fee table. TWRA registration fees changed in 2025. Use the current TWRA rule or portal amount before payment.
• Launching while the application is incomplete. Boats that require registration must be properly registered before operating on Tennessee public waters. A temporary registration may be available after certification, but keep the temporary document with you and follow its stated limits....

Before launching on Old Hickory Lake

Before heading to Lock 4 Park, Gallatin Marina or another Old Hickory Lake access point, confirm that:

• The boat’s registration is current.
• The registration certificate and required decals are available and correctly displayed.
• The HIN matches the registration records.
• Required boating-safety credentials are available for the operator. Tennessee residents born after January 1, 1989, must show a TWRA-issued Boating Safety Education Certificate; out-of-state boaters born after that date may use a NASBLA-approved certificate.
• The launch site is open and suitable for your vessel.
• You have reviewed current Tennessee boating-safety requirements before departure.

For the official application, renewal portal and current boating rules, use TWRA’s [Boating in Tennessee resource](/search?q=Tennessee%20boat%20registration%20TWRA). For local access and recreation, see Gallatin’s [Old Hickory Lake boating resources](/search?q=Gallatin%20Old%20Hickory%20Lake%20boating) and [Gallatin parks and boat ramps](/search?q=Gallatin%20parks%20boat%20ramps).