Search
Watercraft Home

Registration Agents and Title Offices by County

County listings include both Watercraft Agents and Title Offices. Sometimes getting a boat registered requires trips to both types of offices. Be sure you are contacting the appropriate office for your needs.

Only Watercraft Agents issue registrations. Only Clerks of Court write titles. If your boat requires a title, then the title must be correct and accurate before the registration can be issued. If your transaction includes a change of ownership, be sure you have a new title written before going to a watercraft agent. If you have any doubt about the appropriate procedure, call the Watercraft Office nearest you for clarification.

Due to the seasonal nature of boating in Ohio, be sure to phone ahead of time for hours of operation and acceptable methods of payment. You will need to bring your driver's license for registration transactions with Watercraft Agents.

Click a county on the map below to find an agent or clerk near you.

View an alphabetical list of counties.

Ohio state map showing counties

Title vs. Registration: What's the Difference?

Not all Ohio boats require a title, but all Ohio boats do require a registration.

Titles are used to show proof of ownership on valuable property. Titles are issued by the county Clerks of Court. If your boat requires a title, the title must show your name before the registration can be written in your name. Titles don't get updated for current information like your registration does. The only time a title will change is when the owner of the property (boat or motor) changes.

Registrations outwardly link a boat to the owner, much like the license plate on a car. A registration is where the "OH" numbers come from. Federal law requires the display of a registration number on recreational boats. The registration number identifies the boat from a distance. And in our boat registration database, the registration number brings together the title information with current owner information and other particulars about the boat, like means of propulsion and style of boat.
 Watercraft  >  Registration & Titling  > Agent and Clerk Map

 Updated 08/18/04