What do the regs say about registering a pontoon in Utah? I have heard that if I put a trolling motor on my pontoon I have to register it? Has anyone heard of some one getting in trouble because they didn’t register their pontoon?
I bought my pontoon second hand for 100$ a couple years a go. I have used it a bunch with out a trolling motor on Strawberry. I got a motor for Christmas and someone at work brought up the registering thing. I would have a rough time spending a bunch each year just to register it in order to use the motor.
I have never had any trouble at Strawberry,but have been told to register at State Parks.It costs 20-25 dollars.So if you go to Jordanelle,Deer Creek,or some other state park you could get a ticket.I don’t think its right,but what are you going too do?You could leave the motor off at the state parks and be allright
o.k. as far as displaying your bow numbers and registration decal you will need to make what is called a backing plate. You can do this out of sheet metal, wood, or anything you can come up with. Now, dislay your stickers on this plate and then wire tie, strap or connect them somehow to the row frame. Now while your on the water just flip them over the side and your good to go. Actually, pretty simple.
Now as for what you’ll need when you go into the DMV, it just depends on who you get. If the person knows what there doing, you’ll need make, model horsepower your using, and maybe year. Hopefully that will get you out the door and on the water. By some chance they may tell you you need to get a VIN inspection. If this happens then go home and call the police to come out and confirm that there is no VIN (which you and I already know that) and he will have to sign a piece of paper saying that there is no VIN. Then you can go back to the DMV and get it registered.
GOOD LUCK. If you need any help just ask and if you need someone to do your VIN inspection just bring it to Willard and I would be happy to help you
I dont understand it costs you all 25 for a toon, but my 14 foot alum. boat cost me 18 annually to get stickered. things like that are confusing to me…shouldnt the boat be 25 and the toon 18??? i wont complain that is cheap either way i think, otherwise i would just have more crankbaits to lose. some of this stuff is really weird when come across it, i have a motor on my float tube and i asked a ranger point blank in my tube with motor sitting in the water when they boated up to me to see if i had my papers with me, i told him i heard a rumor i had to register my float tube if i have the motor on it…he smiled and didnt say much but i didnt get a ticket or a warning, he did say motorized craft have to be registered…so i asked if he thought i was a motorized craft and he said HE didnt consider me one. so i am wondering if it depends on the mood of the officer as well…course maybe he wasnt deputized like he shoulda been to be out checkin papers. he wore no arms. but his silent partner in the back of his boat had on a nice looking handgun, couldnt make it out holstered.
Okay, this year it changed (and there should be some kinda of correction made to all that paid over $10. to license our toons)
Toons should only cost $10. to license, and YES you can get a ticket…seen it done.
As far as posting the license, you are required to use the same numbers/ letters as you do on a regular boat (3" I think)
Easiest and lightest, not to mention flexable way is a piece of Vinyl Siding cut about 5" X 20" to play it safe, maybe 24". Enough room for #'s Letters and the state sticker.
Attach it to your frame of you boat with wire ties or even the wire shower curtain clips.
Police WILL NOT GO TO YOUR HOUSE anymore, so to play it safe, take the boat and motor with you to the DMV. In fact I don’t think you will even need to inflate it, just show them what you got. And don’t forget the PFD at all times, you can get ticketed for that also. Idaho requires a Whistle or a Horn, which I think is a very good idea also.
When you get ready to put the motor on, I would recommend mounting on the back, but loosen the head on the motor and turn it so that the handle is faceing the same direction as the prop. This will give you more power in the forward gears (which means you are going backwards - pulling you instead of pushing) You will still need your flippers, and oars are a good thing if the battery goes dead.
To answer your question, yes your float tube should have been registered. By the definition of a motor boat a float tube with a motor on it is required to be registered. By statute the definition of a motor boat is any vessel propelled by machinery, whether or not the machinery is the principle source of propulsion. Now with that said a vessel is defined as any type of watercraft, other that a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. Now for the second part of your question there is always a thing called officer discretion.
So after reading the states definition of a motor boat and a vessel what do you think.
By definition it is pretty straight forward to me. I do not mind the registration nor do I mind all the regulations that I must follow as a boat owner. I truely believe that the rules are for my safety as well as others.
HOWEVER…Why has there been so many ??'s and frustration with getting a small craft registered? I.E. a float tube or pontoon boat does not have VIN or HIN’s so why the extra paperwork for our law enforcement to verify? They have enough to do already! I went to the DMV Web site and there is absolutely a big “0” in guidance as to how to register a small craft like this.
Thanks to people like Utahsteelheader and our other members, I am able to be WELL prepared for anything that I may need to accomplish what SHOULD be an easy task. I am bringing my toon, electric trolling motor, sales receipts, VIN verification paperwork, dogs birth record, last 6 years tax returns, etc etc.
utahsteelheader
I took this issue to court three years ago and won. I got a ticket at Mantua because I didn’t have a personal floatation device. I argued on two things. One is the Utah Code doesn’t specifically say float tubes it says vessels. There is a reasonable man theory that can be used in court. Basically it goes something like would a reasonable person on the street if asked to define a vessel ever say a float tube? Also I argued that the seat of my float tube (fish cat) could be considered a pfd because it was foam and floated. the judge told the dwr that he could see my point and reprimanded them to get legislation to be changed. the law as the judge points out doesn’t say a float tube is a vessel. that is the DWR interpretation of the law, big difference. The judge also said the “transportation” rule cannot be applied to a float tube. Again he used the reasonable man theory. A reasonable person thinks of water transportation as something for hire such as a cruise ship, party boat, pontoon boat or a regular boat not a foot propelled inflatible float tube. It was funny the co came off all cocky and ticked off to be there and the judge actually took my side and basically argued for me.
Good to hear you got off but you were in Mantua. I probably would of wrote you for fishing too close to the beach or boat ramp or consuming alcohol on that lake. LOL that would have gotten enforced or better yet did you walk down the dock with your fishing pole ah got you again fishing from the dock that will be another fine. LOL. I am sorry I just got to have fun with this because its all open to interpretation.
I do have one question about the seat of your float tube being a PFD I you flip over in the tube which end do you really want sticking up. LOL Don’t take this personnal.
I’m sorry I don’t consume alcohol. I never thought I would get off without paying the ticket, but I do believe the co turned the judge off real fast with his attitude. Sounds like you got a bit of an attitude also. I would try to be humble and as the judge told the co that wrote me up, the co’s job is to enforce the law and the judge’s job is to interpret the law.
OK you win You took me all wrong so its best to let it go. I really don’t have an attitude but lets just say that Mantua has quite a reputation and what I said was all a joke, so don’t be mad.
I visited with State Representative Jon Ferry from Corinne on this issue of boat registration fees. The state realized they had an error in the way fees were calculated on pontoon boats and were going to correct it this year. He said when you register your pontoon now there would be a spot where you could apply for a rebate on the taxes you overpaid last year because of the state’s error and get your refund. Anyone out there seen this yet? Acey
That is exactly the point he was trying to make with his jesting. If the law isn’t definitive enough then it leaves too much up for interpretation by the CO. It was not necessarily the fault of the CO (at least in the issuing of the citation) but the fault of the law makers for leaving the writing so vague. Luckily for you the judge used common sense and made a favorable ruling in your case What we really need to do is get someone to draft a new law that is clearer for everyone involved.
Post: I visited with State Representative Jon Ferry from Corinne on this issue of boat registration fees. The state realized they had an error in the way fees were calculated on pontoon boats and were going to correct it this year. He said when you register your pontoon now there would be a spot where you could apply for a rebate on the taxes you overpaid last year because of the state’s error and get your refund. Anyone out there seen this yet? Acey
I won’t till the 4th month but you can bet I am going to get a refund. Because my pontoon is 11 1/2’ long and cost (at that time ) $1,400. They stuck me with $28. every year for 8yrs.
They really had no clue what they were doing back then. I also started out with a Caddis donut float tube and had the float power attached with a battery and a motor. The registration read inboard/outboard 35 hrs motor. Now that could be interesting!