A center console boat with a T-top running a shallow Gulf Coast bay at sunset, past a marsh shoreline, a sandbar with shorebirds and a fishing pier

Donate a boat in Texas

Texas has it all: Galveston Bay, Port Aransas and the Coastal Bend, South Padre, and hundreds of lakes from Lake Travis and Lake LBJ to Conroe, Lewisville, Sam Rayburn, and Toledo Bend. Bay boats, wake boats, bass boats, and personal watercraft are all common.

Call (888) 228-7320

Texas rules for a boat donation

TITLING AND REGISTRATION AGENCY

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Visit the agency site

Titles and registration

Texas Parks and Wildlife titles and registers boats and outboard motors.

Outboard motors

Texas titles outboard motors separately. If your boat has an outboard, you will sign over its title too.

Trailers

Trailers are registered through the Texas DMV via county tax offices.

Lost title or registration

The owner on record can usually get a duplicate from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 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 Texas title. Some documented boats are also registered with the state for use here.

What Texas boat owners call us about

Coastal storm season

Galveston and Coastal Bend owners after hurricanes.

Hill Country lake homes

Wake boats and pontoons on Travis and LBJ.

Family fleets of PWCs

Several units at once, such as two or three jet skis on separate trailers.

Boats we pick up in Texas

Fishing boats Bay boats and bass boats. Motorboats Wake boats and pontoons. Personal watercraft PWCs.

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

Sailboats Yachts Houseboats Floating homes Commercial boats Boat trailers Classic boats Marine equipment

Boating in Texas: seasons and storage

The season

Texas boats all year; the coast faces hurricane season in summer and fall.

Storage and carrying costs

Storage lots and covered slips are common around the big lakes. Every month a boat sits unused, those costs keep adding up. Estimate yours.

A typical Texas donation

A bay boat on the coast or a wake boat on a Hill Country lake. We accept every other kind of boat here too.

Texas by region

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

Galveston Bay and Houston

Clear Lake, Kemah, and Galveston.

Coastal Bend

Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and Rockport.

South Padre

Lower Laguna Madre.

Hill Country

Travis, LBJ, and Canyon.

North Texas

Lewisville, Grapevine, and Texoma.

East Texas

Conroe, Sam Rayburn, and Toledo Bend.

Texas boat donation questions

Does my outboard need its own title in Texas?

Yes. Texas titles outboards separately.

Can you pick up several jet skis at once?

Yes. Tell us how many.

Where do I get a duplicate title?

From Texas Parks and Wildlife.

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

Fall and winter on the coast, after hurricane season; any time on the Hill Country lakes. 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 Texas boat donation

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

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

Name

Phone

Preferred contact method

Best time to reach you

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

OTHER STATES IN THE GULF COAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL

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