Being an avid kayaker as well as a maritime attorney, I get asked time and again if Florida requires titling and registration of kayaks or canoes outfitted with electric motors. The answer is an emphatic YES!

Kayak and canoe manufactures have started selling models with built in electric motors. For example, Ocean Kayak recently launched the Torque which has a factory installed electric motor. There are also emerging businesses which sell aftermarket electric motors attachments for kayaks and canoes. The sellers of these products generally don’t tell you most states including Florida require these crafts to be titled and registered as motor vessels.

Florida Statutes § 328.03 and § 328.56 require the titling and registration of all motorized kayaks and canoes regardless of length. In addition to paying for the title and registration, Florida law requires motorized kayaks and canoes to display registration numbers and decals.

The fee to title a kayak or canoe is $77.25 in most cases. The fee to register a kayak or canoe is relatively inexpensive costing only $12.25 a year as of the day of this article. For your convenience, click here for a Florida Certificate of Title with Registration Application.

So, if you live in Florida and have a kayak or canoe that is outfitted with an electric motor, you need to get it registered. If not, you are in jeopardy of getting ticketed!