do not buy a boat without registration papers, u will be breaking the law. if it sounds too good to be true....it probably is! do your homework, find out why its not registered.

Do your research!
motors did not have to be registered until last year. Boats don't have to be registered in some states. Get the numbers and have them checked.
If the trailer has good numbers and papers.
run the boat numbers and see.
If it was a La. boat there should be registration numbers on the side of the boat. If those numbers are there then those numbers will let you get registration papers.

he might have a stolen boat and motor yet own the trailer it sits on so write down his name and drivers license number then the registration number and the hull ID number and call wildlife and fisheries with that info to find out if you can register it in your name. if you have to track down the last registered owner of the boat you may not be able to find them and that would mean the boat is useless.

if he doesnt want to give you those numbers then its stolen and run away from it.

Thanks for all the help, it turns out that he had the boat registration and the title for the trailer, looks like i might get on the water before i get into hunting after all! The boat isnt pretty, 17foot alumicraft flat, but it does have a 2010 25 yamaha on it! All for $400, Thanks for all the help

hard to go wrong with that, boat might have a few minor leaks or issues to discoverbut just about anything aluminum is fixable

In Louisiana, only the trailer will have a title. It is possible to have a boat that is used on a private pond only that has never been registered with the state. Boat registration is required if you use it on any public waterway, but in a pond on your private property, you don't need to have a boat registered. When you buy a flat boat, you get a receipt from the store. The only title you will get with a new boat purchase is on the trailer, because it is intended for use on roadways. The boat only needs a registration if you use it on public waterways. It is possible that the guy is legit, if the trailer has a title. If he is willing to sign a bill of sale on the boat with a notary, it is probably legit.

they changed the rules, now boats and motors have titles to them so anything you buy today will have those but used boats were before this rule change so they dont need titles.

not sure of the exact date but i think its anything bought after 2010 gets a title for boat, motor, and trailer. (3 items, 3 titles)