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As you might know, I brought my boat down from Michigan last week, and need to get it registered.
1. Do I need to pay taxes on it here now too? LDFW web site says yes, mechanic says no.
2. Drove out to the Covington office last week to do so. Sign on door said that office is more or less closed for forseeable future!?!?!?
3. Guess there's a place on Poydras street in NOLA I could hit during lunch, but I suspect they might not be able to collect for St Tammany parish?
Any locals ever registered an imported boat B4? Help?
Shouldn't have to pay tax on it- just be able to prove that taxes were paid on the boat at some point. That is what I remember, but don't hold me to it
Two seprate issues. If it is a boat and trailer the boat is registered with Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries. I believe no tax is paid. Trailer is registered with Dept. of Public Safety, same as cars. Tax may be due on value of trailer. You should be able to get the info on the State web site.
you will need to register your trailer with dept of motor vehicles; there is one in slidell, and you'll have to pay a tax (not sure what the percentage is). you'll need a bill of sale or "statement of origin"...i'd get whatever you have notarized just in case
to register the boat, take your proof of ownership to the LDWF office and register with them; no tax payment required...since you are not paying any tax, doesn't matter which office you go to
I live in Arkansas and bought a used boat in Rhode Island, and had it shipped to Venice, LA. I ended up having to go to the tax office on Poydres Street in New Orleans. They required proof the original owner paid sales tax, which I fortunately had. You will have to fill out a tax certificate. Then you will have to get a tax certificate from the parish. In my case, Plaquemine. The Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries would not register until I get this done. It takes time when you live 500 miles away, out of state. Good Luck!
Hey Rob, Bring the paper work for your boat by the Civil Section of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in the court house. They will look at your paperwork and determine how much tax you need to pay and give you a certificate for the Wildlife & Fisheries. My son just went through all of this when he bought a boat in Illinois. Go to Rod'nReel.com and scroll down to government agencies. You can print out an application for registration. Send it and the certificate for the taxes to LDW&F and you should have no problem getting the boat registered. If the Mandeville Office of Motor Vehicles has been closed, run up to Bogalusa to get your trailer registered. They usually aren't very busy. The office is just past the car dealerships on Hwy. 21 and is on the left hand side coming from Covington. I wonder why they closed the office in Mandeville?
Hey Rob, Bring the paper work for your boat by the Civil Section of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office in the court house.
Thanks for the info Skydad. Is that the court house in Slidell?
FWIW, it seems that the Tax office in Covington is still in service after I called them Thursday. They claimed it was a different office within the building that had posted the sign, but the door WAS locked, so... I guess that's why the girl I talked to Thursday asked me when I might be by.... so she could run down to the office and open up?!?!?
Meh... so long as I get to boatin' soon.
Just waitin for the shop to get the zincs installed.
And so it goes... I just paid $400 tax on my boat. I needed proof that the original buyer paid tax. RIGHT. Like I'm going to have that available... The only part I DON'T understand, is how they can conceive that the original buyer DIDN'T pay taxes on it. But I digress. I'll put it right up there with the barke tags and mortgage tax (that I paid for my car's plates, even though I don't have a mortgage). I will sleep good knowing I had a hand in the corrupt politics of the most corrupt State in the U.S. I can appreciate anything that is done to extremes, even if it's bad :-) Must be the thanks I get for serving my country (not that I'm bitter).
Guess I need to go buy a 12 pack for the Sherrif when he/she inspects my trailer.
See... I showed up to the police dept. without a 12 pack, and they told me to come back tomorrow. The receptionist on the phone told me I could come by 24/7 and they would be HAPPY to do it.
The officer I talked with also told me to go back to the DMV to get the little form, in case they don't have one when I come back.
Went to LADWF downtown NOLA during lunch, and for the $5.00 parking fee, found out that though I did have the Tax authority in Covington stamp my application, I now needed the PARRISH tax authority to stamp my app. They are of course in Covington.
The DMV could have given me the form to begin with. The State Tax place could have said I needed to visit the Parrish Tax office, and LADWF could have pointed out I needed TWO Tax authorities to sign in the first place, instead of just telling me the location/phone of the State office and saying that would do it.
Moral of the saga as it stands... keep 750mls of Jack in the freezer.
Kloka-mo ... good stories.* I've lived in LA all my life and I've bought 2 boats out of state and went through the same process.* You and I could not think of a more convoluted process if we drank two 750ml of JD each.
Welcome to Louisiana ... looks like we're practically neighbors.
I purchased a boat from Mississippi last year & only had to show the bill of sale,& the Mississippi registration. Sent the forms with a check to LA.Wildlife & Fisheries & received the new registration within 1 week. I registered the trailer with DMV in Houma & paid only the published registration fees on the boat & the trailer.
I ended up paying $400 state tax, $475 Parrish tax, and $200 for title and tags on trailer. It was USED, so no sales tax in MI. Couldn't prove the original owner paid tax. Anyway... it's over, and I actually got to use the boat Saturday. Blastin through the Rigolets at 53mph was nice :-)
My two favorite memories of the process:
1. Paying a late fee when registering the trailer. I had the salesman back date the sales receipt because one of the requirements (as posted on the web site) was that proof of ownership must be at least 90 days old, or such (so it's given a chance to be reported stolen I assume). Then they fine you for having it that long without registering it.
2. Walking away from the State Tax Collector's office on the first one hour round trip visit because the door was locked, and there was only one abandoned looking car nearby. Come to find out the door is ALWAYS locked because of the neighborhood it's in, and the car belongs to the lady who works there. You literally have to pound on the door loud enough and wait long enough for her large civil servant's azz to walk down the hall to let you in. Doorbells, instructions, possibly a buzzer anyone?
Meh...
I keep it at the Rigolets Sportsman Marina. If y'all see a 19' Four Winns U-19 with dark green stripes, and wide center stripe down the center of the deck, that's me. Cheers, and thanks for the sanity check Fishn'-Fanatic. I thought it was just me.
LA boat registstration rules 
