Texas Jet Ski bill of sale for private sale

Texas Jet Ski Private Sale: TPWD Registration and PWD 143

Texas personal watercraft are registered through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), not the Texas DMV. This is one of the most common errors in Texas jet ski transfers — buyers who show up at a county tax assessor-collector office expecting automobile-style title service are turned away because TPWD handles all vessel titling and registration in Texas. Texas Vessel Title: TPWD Form PWD 143 The transfer form for Texas PWC sales is TPWD Form PWD 143 (Application for Texas Certificate of Number, Title, and/or Lien for Vessel/Outboard Motor). The form captures the Hull Identification Number (HIN), seller and buyer information, sale price, and notarized signatures. Texas requires both the seller and buyer to sign Form PWD 143 before a notary public — vessel transfers are one of the few Texas private-party vehicle transactions where notarization is mandatory by statute (Texas Parks and Wildlife Code § 31.047). The completed form and applicable fees are submitted to any TPWD licensing office, county tax assessor-collector, or authorized TPWD deputy registrar. Texas Sales Tax on PWC Texas imposes a 6.25% state sales and use tax on vessel sales, capped at $18,000 under Texas Tax Code § 160.02. Most jet ski transactions are well below the $288,000 threshold that triggers the cap. The buyer pays use tax at time of registration through TPWD. If the jet ski is sold with a trailer, Texas requires a separate title for trailers over 4,000 lbs GVWR — trailers at or under 4,000 lbs GVWR do not require a title in Texas (though they do require a license plate). The bill of sale should separately price the PWC and the trailer. Texas Boater Education: Who Must Have a Card? Texas Parks and Wildlife Code § 31.108 requires any person born on or after September 1, 1993, to complete an approved boater education course before operating a vessel with more than 15 horsepower — which includes virtually all commercially available jet skis. The Texas Boater Education Card is issued after completing a NASBLA-approved course. Buyers who do not yet have the card should complete the course before taking the jet ski out on Texas waters. Operating without the required card is a Class C misdemeanor. HIN Requirements and Anti-Theft Compliance Texas Parks and Wildlife Code § 31.048 requires the HIN to be present on all titled vessels. If a HIN has been removed, altered, or is otherwise missing, Texas law requires the buyer to apply for a replacement HIN through TPWD before registration can be completed. A missing or altered HIN is also a flag for theft — Texas has one of the highest rates of PWC theft in the country, concentrated in the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio metro areas. Run the HIN through TPWD's online vessel search before signing the bill of sale. Lake Texoma, Canyon Lake, Possum Kingdom: Operator Age Requirements Several Texas lakes impose additional PWC operator age minimums beyond state law. Lake Texoma, which straddles the Oklahoma border, requires PWC operators to be at least 16 years old and hold a boater education card regardless of when they were born. Buyers operating on these designated lakes should confirm the specific rules for their primary body of water. Step-by-Step Texas Jet Ski Transfer Checklist 1. Verify HIN on starboard transom matches the title document. 2. Complete TPWD Form PWD 143 — both parties sign before a notary. 3. Submit form at a TPWD office, county tax assessor-collector, or authorized deputy. 4. Pay Texas sales and use tax (6.25%) at time of registration. 5. If trailer included and over 4,000 lbs GVWR: complete trailer title transfer separately. 6. Buyer obtains Texas Boater Education Card if born on or after September 1, 1993. 7. Seller retains a copy of the notarized PWD 143 and bill of sale.

Source: TX Parks & Wildlife Code § 31.047; § 31.048; § 31.108; TX Tax Code § 160.02; TPWD Form PWD 143