Nebraska Boat History Reports

Nebraska boating is reservoir boating almost everywhere, and the paperwork on a used hull is split between two agencies that do not share a counter. Lake McConaughy behind Kingsley Dam on the North Platte is the largest water in the state and pulls traffic from Denver as well as Omaha, while Lewis and Clark Lake behind Gavins Point Dam and the open Missouri River carry the northeast corner. Branched Oak, Pawnee and the rest of the Salt Valley lakes serve Lincoln, Zorinsky and Cunningham serve Omaha, Harlan County Reservoir and Swanson, Enders, Red Willow and Medicine Creek cover the Republican River basin in the south, and Calamus, Merritt, Sherman, Johnson, Elwood, Sutherland and Lake Minatare fill in the Sandhills and the panhandle. Two records follow every boat. Section 37-1209 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes makes the Game and Parks Commission the commission for purposes of the State Boat Act, so numbering, safety and casualty files sit there, while sections 37-1275 to 37-1287 put the certificate of title in the hands of the county treasurer and the Department of Motor Vehicles. A Nebraska boat therefore has a Game and Parks registration record and a DMV title and lien record, and neither one is complete on its own.

Nebraska titles boats by build date rather than by length, which catches almost every used boat worth buying. Section 37-1276(1) provides that no person shall sell or otherwise dispose of a motorboat without delivering a certificate of title with an assignment showing title in the purchaser and affixing the hull identification number if it is not already affixed, and section 37-1276(2) exempts only a motorboat manufactured before November 1, 1972 along with government owned vessels. Section 37-1277(1) is the sentence that matters at the dock: no person acquiring a motorboat acquires any right, title, claim or interest in it until that person has physical possession of the boat and a properly assigned certificate of title, and no court in any case at law or in equity shall recognize an interest in a motorboat sold, mortgaged or encumbered without compliance. Section 37-1278(1) sends the title application to the county treasurer and requires the title to be obtained before the registration required by section 37-1214, and section 37-1278(5) gives the buyer 30 days after delivery to file. Registration itself runs on a three year cycle: section 37-1214(1) sets the three year fee at $40 for Class 1, $60 for Class 2, $80 for Class 3 and $130 for Class 4 boats, section 37-1213 draws those classes at under 16 feet, 16 to under 26 feet, 26 to under 40 feet and 40 feet and over, and section 37-1226(1) runs every certificate of number for three years on periods that begin January 1 and end December 31.

The condition record is the part of Nebraska that rewards a careful buyer, because unlike most plains states Nebraska brands hulls. Section 37-1292(5) defines a salvage motorboat as a late model motorboat wrecked, damaged or destroyed to the point that the estimated total cost of repair meets or exceeds 75 percent of its retail value at the time of the damage, or one the owner voluntarily designates as salvage, and section 37-1292(2) defines late model as the model year of the loss or any of the six preceding years, or a retail value above the escalating threshold that started at $10,000. Section 37-1293 then requires the insurer paying a total loss to surrender the title and apply for a salvage branded certificate, requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to enter the salvage brand onto the computerized record immediately when the owner elects to keep the boat, and directs the county treasurer to issue a previously salvaged branded title instead when the hull has already been rebuilt. Section 37-1294 makes salvage and previously salvaged the required brands, and section 37-1295 requires any title issued on or after January 1, 2005 to disclose in writing that the boat previously carried an out of state title bearing a word or symbol such as junk, scrap, parts only, nonrepairable, reconstructed, rebuilt or flood damaged, along with the jurisdiction that issued it. The casualty file is unusually broad as well. Section 37-1256(1) requires a report to the commission whenever a collision, accident or other casualty results in death, a missing person, injury to a person, or property damage in excess of $500, which is one of the lowest reporting thresholds in the country.

• +Ask for the certificate of title before you ask about the engine hours, and check the build year against the exemption. Section 37-1276(2) exempts only a motorboat manufactured before November 1, 1972, so any modern hull sold in Nebraska must come to you with a title carrying an assignment in your name under section 37-1276(1). Section 37-1276(3) adds that no purchaser shall receive a certificate of title that does not contain an assignment showing title in the purchaser, and that possession of such a title is prima facie evidence of a violation. Section 37-1277(1) makes the consequence concrete: without physical possession plus the assigned title, you have acquired no right, title, claim or interest in the boat at all, and no Nebraska court will recognize one. A seller offering a certificate of number and a handshake is offering you a boat you do not legally own.
• +Read the lien notations on the face of the title and understand that Nebraska keeps them electronically and orders them by time. Section 37-1282(1) required the Department of Motor Vehicles to implement an electronic title and lien system for motorboats no later than January 1, 2011, and any lien filed electronically becomes part of the electronic certificate of title record created by the county treasurer. Section 37-1282(2) takes motorboat security interests out of Uniform Commercial Code article 9 entirely, except during the period a boat sits as dealer inventory, so the title notation is the record rather than a UCC financing statement search. Section 37-1282(3) sets priority by the order in time that liens were noted, and section 37-1282(7) gives a paid off lienholder 15 days after receiving payment to note the cancellation and deliver the title. A lien that is still showing months after the seller says it was paid is a question worth pressing before money changes hands.
• +Treat a bonded certificate of title as a warning label rather than a formality. Section 37-1278.01(1) lets the Department of Motor Vehicles issue a bonded title to an applicant who cannot produce ordinary proof of ownership, on payment of $50 for a boat manufactured on or after January 1, 1990 or $20 for an older one, plus a surety bond equal to one and one half times the value of the boat under subsection 2. Subsection 4 requires the title itself to carry the statement that the motorboat may be subject to an undisclosed interest along with the bond number, and that notice rides along on any title issued while the bond is in effect. Subsection 6(b) is the sharp edge: issuance of a bonded title extinguishes a lien if the lienholder failed to answer a certified mail notice within 30 days, which means the chain of ownership was reconstructed rather than proven. Section 37-1278.01(3) allows release of the bond three years out if no claim was made, so ask when the bond was issued.
• +Match the hull identification number on the title, on the transom and on the bill of sale, and know who assigned it. Section 37-1286 requires the certificate of title to carry the hull identification number along with hull material, propulsion, model year and hull length, and requires the state to assign a number if the boat does not have one. That same section has the county treasurer assign a distinguishing hull identification number to any homebuilt motorboat or any motorboat manufactured prior to November 1, 1972, in conformity with the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971, for a nonrefundable $20 fee. Section 37-1281(3) requires the written sale instrument to state the model year, manufacturer name, hull identification number and hull length. Cross-check all of it against the federally required plate that 33 CFR 181.23 puts on boats built or imported after November 1, 1972, and treat a mismatch as a stop signal. Section 37-1288 makes it a Class IV felony to procure or pass a certificate of title knowing the boat was stolen, which is exactly what a filed off or re-tagged HIN is usually hiding. A guide to reading the twelve characters is at /guides/what-is-a-hin.
• +Use the Nebraska salvage brand, then verify it rather than trusting a clean face. Section 37-1294 requires the brands salvage and previously salvaged on any Nebraska title for a boat carrying those designations, and section 37-1295 requires a title issued on or after January 1, 2005 to disclose an out of state damage brand of any kind along with the issuing jurisdiction. The gaps are real though. Section 37-1292(5)(a) only reaches a late model motorboat, defined in section 37-1292(2) by a six year model window or a retail value above the escalating threshold, so an older or cheaper hull can be totaled and rebuilt without ever triggering the brand. Section 37-1296 puts a duty on anyone who acquires a salvage motorboat without a branded title to apply for one within 30 days or before selling the boat or any major component part, whichever comes first, and section 37-1298 makes violations of the salvage sections punishable, but that duty is only as good as the seller who honors it. A marine survey of the transom, stringers, engine mounts and hull below the waterline still carries the condition question.
• +Run the calendar and the fee schedule before you close, because Nebraska measures the handoff in short windows. Section 37-1229(1) requires the owner to notify the commission of a transfer within 15 days and terminates the certificate of number on transfer, section 37-1278(5) requires the title application to be filed within 30 days after delivery, and section 37-1211(2) lets you operate for only 30 days from the date the boat was acquired while the numbering is pending, and only if a bill of sale, certificate of title or other satisfactory evidence of the right of possession is available for inspection at all times. Budget the three year registration fee from section 37-1214(1), the $6 title fee and $3 lien notation fee in section 37-1287(1) plus the additional $4 charged under section 37-1287(3), and the aquatic invasive species stamp that section 37-1214(2) requires on any motorboat not registered in Nebraska before it launches. Then check the crew: section 37-1241.06(1) bars anyone under 14 from operating a motorboat or personal watercraft and anyone under 16 from operating with a person in tow, and section 37-1241.06(2) requires a boating safety certificate for every operator born after December 31, 1985.

Nebraska vessel data is sourced from Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles and county treasurer certificate of title records, from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission registration and boating casualty records, and from the State Boat Act at Chapter 37, article 12 of the Nebraska Revised Statutes, including the definition of commission at section 37-1209, the numbering requirement and 30 day operating window at section 37-1211, the vessel classification schedule at section 37-1213, the three year registration fee schedule and aquatic invasive species stamp at section 37-1214, the certificate of number and bow number display rules at section 37-1216, the three year certificate term and renewal grace period at section 37-1226, the 15 day transfer notice and grounds for invalidating a certificate at section 37-1229, the numbering exemptions at section 37-1249, the personal flotation device requirements at section 37-1241, the personal watercraft operation rules at section 37-1241.02, the operator age and boating safety certificate rules at section 37-1241.06, the boating under the influence limits at section 37-1254.01, the operator duties after a casualty at section 37-1255, the $500 accident reporting threshold at section 37-1256, the title assignment requirement and pre-1972 exemption at section 37-1276, the acquisition of ownership rule at section 37-1277, the title application and 30 day filing deadline at section 37-1278, the bonded certificate of title at section 37-1278.01, the written sale instrument contents at section 37-1281, the electronic title and lien system and lien priority rules at section 37-1282, the title form, hull identification number assignment and $20 fee at section 37-1286, the title and lien notation fees at section 37-1287, the title forgery and stolen boat offenses at section 37-1288, the nontransferable certificate of title at section 37-1291, the salvage definitions and 75 percent threshold at section 37-1292, the salvage branded title procedure at section 37-1293, the required salvage and previously salvaged brands at section 37-1294, the out of state brand disclosure requirement at section 37-1295, and the duty to obtain a salvage branded title at section 37-1296. Hull identification number format follows 33 CFR Part 181. HullTrace is not affiliated with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission or the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.

Every recorded ownership transfer in the federal and state systems.

Active and released liens — know if there's a secured creditor claim on the hull.

USCG-reported incidents including collisions, groundings, and sinkings.

Any record of total-loss or salvage operations tied to this hull.

Cross-referenced against the NCIC national stolen vessel database.

Active CPSC safety recalls tied to this HIN or model configuration.

Does Nebraska require a title for a boat?

Yes, for essentially every modern hull. Section 37-1276(1) of the Nebraska Revised Statutes provides that no person shall sell or otherwise dispose of a motorboat without delivering to the purchaser a certificate of title with an assignment on the certificate to show title in the purchaser, and without affixing the hull identification number if it is not already affixed. The only meaningful carve-out is in section 37-1276(2), which exempts a motorboat manufactured before November 1, 1972 along with boats owned by the United States, the State of Nebraska or their agencies and political subdivisions. Section 37-1277(1) gives the requirement teeth by providing that no person acquiring a motorboat acquires any right, title, claim or interest until that person has physical possession of the boat and a properly assigned certificate of title, and that no court in any case at law or in equity shall recognize an interest without compliance. Section 37-1278(1) requires the title to be obtained before the registration required by section 37-1214, and section 37-1287(1) sets the title fee at $6 with an additional $4 charged under section 37-1287(3).

How do I register a boat in Nebraska?

Registration is filed at the county and runs on a three year cycle. Section 37-1214(1) requires the owner of each motorboat to register the vessel or renew every three years, filing the application for a certificate of number with a county treasurer on forms approved by the Game and Parks Commission, signed by the owner and stating the year manufactured. The three year fee is $40 for a Class 1 boat, $60 for Class 2, $80 for Class 3 and $130 for Class 4, and section 37-1213 sets those classes at less than 16 feet including all canoes, 16 feet to under 26 feet, 26 feet to under 40 feet, and 40 feet and over. Section 37-1216 has the county treasurer issue the certificate of number once the title is presented if one is required, and requires the number to be displayed on each side of the bow in block characters at least three inches high, contrasting in color with the hull and clearly visible from 100 feet. Section 37-1226(1) runs each certificate for three years on periods that begin January 1, and section 37-1226(2) allows an owner whose registration expired until March 1 of the following year to renew. Section 37-1214(2) separately requires an aquatic invasive species stamp on any motorboat not registered in Nebraska before it launches on state waters.

How do I check a Nebraska boat for liens?

Work from the certificate of title, because Nebraska deliberately took motorboat security interests out of the usual filing system. Section 37-1282(2) provides that Uniform Commercial Code article 9 shall not be construed to apply to or require the filing of a security agreement covering a motorboat, and makes a lien valid against creditors and later purchasers only if it has been noted electronically or by the county treasurer or department on the face of the certificate of title or the electronic certificate of title record. The one exception is dealer inventory, where article 9 filing rules do apply. Section 37-1282(1) requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to run an electronic title and lien system for motorboats, and section 37-1282(3) gives priority in the order the liens were noted, so the sequence on the record matters. Section 37-1282(7) requires a lienholder to note cancellation within 15 days after receiving payment and deliver the title, and allows a lien to be discharged 10 years after filing when the lienholder cannot be located, following certified mail notice and a 30 day wait. Section 37-1287(1) charges $3 for each lien notation. Repair, storage and towing claims sit outside this record, and if the vessel is federally documented the preferred ship mortgage is recorded with the Coast Guard instead, so pull the National Vessel Documentation Center Abstract of Title as well.

Does Nebraska issue salvage titles for boats?

Yes, and Nebraska is one of the states that brands hulls rather than only motor vehicles. Section 37-1292(5) defines a salvage motorboat as a late model motorboat wrecked, damaged or destroyed to the extent that the estimated total cost of repair to rebuild it and restore it to a condition for legal operation meets or exceeds 75 percent of its retail value at the time of the damage, or a boat the owner voluntarily designates as salvage. Section 37-1292(2) defines late model as a model year designation of the year of the loss or any of the six preceding years, or a retail value above a threshold that started at $10,000 and steps up over time. Section 37-1293 requires an insurer paying a total loss to surrender the title and apply for a salvage branded certificate, requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to enter the salvage brand onto the computerized record immediately when the owner elects to retain the boat, gives that owner 30 days after settlement to forward the endorsed title, and directs the county treasurer to issue a previously salvaged branded title when the hull has already been rebuilt. Section 37-1294 makes salvage and previously salvaged the required brands, and section 37-1295 requires any title issued on or after January 1, 2005 to disclose a prior out of state brand such as junk, scrap, parts only, nonrepairable, reconstructed, rebuilt or flood damaged along with the jurisdiction that issued it. Older and lower value hulls fall outside the late model definition, so a clean brand is not the same as a clean history.

What should I watch for when buying a used boat in Nebraska?

Demand the assigned certificate of title required by section 37-1276(1), since section 37-1277(1) means you own nothing without it and section 37-1276(3) makes possession of an unassigned title prima facie evidence of a violation. Read the lien notations on the record, remembering that section 37-1282(2) makes the title notation the lien record rather than a Uniform Commercial Code filing and that section 37-1282(3) orders priority by the time of notation. Look hard at the words on the title: section 37-1294 requires salvage or previously salvaged brands, section 37-1295 requires disclosure of an out of state damage brand, and section 37-1278.01(4) requires a bonded title to carry a notice that the boat may be subject to an undisclosed interest. Move quickly once you agree on a price, because section 37-1229(1) gives 15 days to notify the commission of the transfer, section 37-1278(5) gives 30 days to file the title application, and section 37-1211(2) allows only 30 days of operation from acquisition while numbering is pending. Verify the hull identification number on the title against the plate required by 33 CFR 181.23 and against the written sale instrument required by section 37-1281. Finally, remember the accident file is broad here: section 37-1256(1) requires a report whenever a casualty causes death, a missing person, injury, or property damage over $500. A full walkthrough of the records to pull is at /guides/how-to-check-boat-history.