May 7, 2019

Canadian boat brokers and buyers will be interested to learn that on May 1st, the Florida Legislature approved the Uniform Certificate of Title Act (HB 475/S 676) – a top recreational boating industry priority – sending the bill to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature. NMMA heralded the legislation’s passage, calling titling a vital tool in the effort to protect consumers from buying damaged, destroyed, or stolen boats.

In response, NMMA vice president of state government relations, David Dickerson stated, “Florida legislators delivered a major victory for the state’s entire recreational boating community with the passage of uniformed boat titling legislation – a commonsense, pro-consumer measure that will provide critical safeguards for boaters and small businesses, alike. We thank Florida’s elected officials – especially Representative Jayer Williamson (Dist. 3) and Senator Ed Hooper (Dist. 16) – for their tireless efforts to get this bill across the finish line and call on Governor DeSantis to swiftly sign it into law.”

Dickerson continued, “The consumer benefits from boat titles are clear and incontrovertible. Just like Carfax identifies if a car has been in an accident and who the rightful owner is, the improvements to titles created by this legislation 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, this legislation helps protect all dealers – including the small, family-owned businesses – from being saddled with an unsellable craft.

“Today, Florida’s collective recreational boating ecosystem – which generates an annual economic impact of $23.3 billion in the state, supporting more than 6,000 businesses and 92,000 jobs – has good reason to celebrate. NMMA commends the state’s leaders for their commitment to boating and we look forward to working with them to advance additional industry priorities. And we encourage Governor Ron DeSantis to sign the bill into law when it arrives on his desk.”

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. For more information, please contact Dickerson at ddickerson@nmma.org.