Registering Canoes In Missouri

[mic]

Do personal canoes have to be registered in the state of Missouri?

[Boat Newb]

The way that I understand it is that as long as it is only powered by oars or paddles, no. I copied and pasted this from the Missouri State Water Patrol website:

Boats/Vessels that are NOT required to be titled or registered in the state of Missouri if they are:

* Owned by out-of-state residents and housed, stored, or operated in the state of Missouri for less than 60 consecutive days;

* Owned by the United States Government;

* From a country other than the United States using the waters of this state for less than 60 consecutive days;

* Propelled solely by paddle or oars (regardless of length);

* Sailboats or sailboards less than 12 feet in length; or

* A ship's lifeboat used solely for lifesaving purposes.

[Al Agnew]

As Boat Newb said, they don't as long as you only paddle them. If you ever want to put a trolling motor or small gas motor on one, you will have to register it. One other possible reason to go ahead and register a canoe is if you plan on ever using it in a state that DOES require registration. I used my tandem canoe on a few trips to the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers in Minnesota, where the state requires registration. Rather than getting a temporary registration up there, I registered in MO and Minnesota considers that valid. However, the last tandem I bought I did not register, and I've let my registration lapse on the old one as well. I also once occasionally put a trolling motor on my old solo, and I never registered it. I was technically illegal, but I seldom used the motor and seldom used it anywhere I expected to run into the state water patrol.

[Bill B.]

I guess if you put one of those little back-pack trolling motors onto a belly boat, you'd have to license the belly boat. Wonder how would you attach the registration numbers?