Can you just claim an abandoned boat? I'll make that if the boat is registered that I contact the owners first.... but it's just sitting there washed up ashore.

TPWD has a form you can send in to find out the last person who registered the boat. You can then try to get a hold of them and get the title transferred if they're willing to do so.

Otherwise, I believe it involves obtaining a bonded title from the state in case some yahoo pops up with a title after you've already sunk restoration costs into it.

What if you can't find a VIN on it

if it has the TX Tags on the side TPW has a site where you can look up the current owner info and it will give it to you immediately.

similar situation. somebody gave me their boat and i couldn't find the serial on the hull to renew and it had it on the site.


found it. HTH

https://apps.tpwd.state.tx.us/tora/jump.jsf


[This message has been edited by NWMizzou State (edited 4/25/2010 7:54p).]