A cream cruising sloop tied to a wooden dock with crab pots, red brick colonial buildings and a white church steeple across a Chesapeake harbor in warm evening light

Donate a boat in Maryland

Maryland is Chesapeake Bay country: Annapolis is a sailing capital, and marinas line the Severn, the Magothy, the South River, and the Eastern Shore rivers. Deep Creek Lake in the west adds pontoons and wake boats.

Call (888) 228-7320

Maryland rules for a boat donation

TITLING AND REGISTRATION AGENCY

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Visit the agency site

Titles and registration

Maryland DNR titles and registers vessels. Most motorized boats and many sailboats are titled.

Excise tax

Maryland charges a vessel excise tax when a boat is titled. It is paid by the new owner, not by you.

Trailers

Trailers are titled and registered through the Maryland MVA.

Lost title or registration

The owner on record can usually get a duplicate from Maryland Department of Natural Resources. If the boat was never retitled after a sale, or the owner has passed away, tell us and we will point you to the right forms.

Coast Guard documented vessels

Documented boats transfer through the National Vessel Documentation Center with a bill of sale, not a Maryland title. Some documented boats are also registered with the state for use here.

What Maryland boat owners call us about

Chesapeake sailboats

Owners on the Bay whose sailing days are winding down.

Marina slip leases

Owners paying annual slips in Annapolis and Kent Island.

Deep Creek lake-house boats

Pontoons left with lake homes.

Boats we pick up in Maryland

Sailboats Chesapeake cruisers and racers. Motorboats Cruisers and runabouts. Fishing boats Center consoles and Chesapeake deadrise workboats.

We also pick up every other kind of boat in Maryland. The types above are just the ones we see most here.

Yachts Center consoles Houseboats Commercial boats Personal watercraft Classic boats Ski and wake boats Boat trailers Marine equipment

Boating in Maryland: seasons and storage

The season

The Chesapeake season runs April to November.

Storage and carrying costs

Annual slips are common; many sailboats winter on the hard. Every month a boat sits unused, those costs keep adding up. Estimate yours.

A typical Maryland donation

A sailboat in an Annapolis marina. We accept every other kind of boat here too.

Maryland by region

Pickup works the same across the state. These are the waters we hear about most.

Annapolis and the Western Shore

Severn, South, and Magothy rivers.

Baltimore and the Upper Bay

Middle River and Havre de Grace.

Eastern Shore

Kent Island, St. Michaels, and Oxford.

Southern Maryland

Solomons and the Patuxent.

Deep Creek Lake

Garrett County.

Maryland boat donation questions

Do I pay Maryland excise tax when I donate?

No. Excise tax applies to the new owner when the boat is titled.

Can you move a sailboat from a mooring in Annapolis?

Yes. We arrange haul-out with a yard.

Where do I get a duplicate Maryland title?

From Maryland DNR.

When is the best time of year to donate a boat in Maryland?

October or November, before winter storage on the Chesapeake. That said, you can donate any time of year.

State rules change. We confirm current requirements when we handle your paperwork. We do not provide tax or legal advice.

Start your Maryland boat donation

Takes about three minutes. Your best guesses are fine, or call (888) 228-7320.

BWC Donation: General (guides, states, main pages)

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Free pickup by our trusted transport team · We handle title transfer and tax paperwork · No cost to you

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