FLORIDA GOVERNOR SIGNS BOAT TITLING BILL INTO LAW
June 18, 2019
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has now signed into law the Uniform Certificate of Title Act (HB 475/S 676) – a top recreational boating industry priority. NMMA and its industry partners actively advocated in favor of the legislation, calling titling a vital tool in the effort to protect consumers from buying damaged, destroyed, or stolen boats.
Similar to how Carfax identifies if a car has been in an accident and who the rightful owner is, the improvements to titles created by Florida’s law add significant consumer protection, helping boaters avoid unwittingly purchasing a stolen or previously damaged vessel. Additionally, titles create more confidence in the marketplace, leading to more reasonable financing options for boat owners. Plus, the new law helps protect all dealers – including the small, family-owned businesses – from being saddled with an unsellable craft.
Securing vessel titling laws in all 50 states is a main focus of NMMA’s advocacy efforts, particularly in top boating states such as Florida. NMMA thanks Representative Jayer Williamson (Dist. 3), Senator Ed Hooper (Dist. 16), and Governor Ron DeSantis for getting uniformed titling on the books in Florida.
For more information, please contact NMMA vice president of state government relations, David Dickerson at ddickerson@nmma.org.
Photo courtesy of https://www.nmma.org
