Boat Registration Agent Bond - Statewide in Oregon

Brief Summary

If you want to sell Oregon boat registrations and temporary operating permits at your shop, marina or dealership, the Oregon State Marine Board has to appoint you as an agent, and the law requires its agents to be bonded. This bond is the piece that lets you take in state fees on the Board's behalf. You pay a modest premium instead of putting up cash, and the bond can be issued quickly once the Board tells you the amount and form it wants.

The Oregon State Marine Board appoints private businesses as registration agents and, under ORS 830.110(10), must require those agents to be bonded. The bond protects the Board and boat owners by guaranteeing the agent handles application paperwork correctly and turns over the state fees it collects. The Marine Board is the obligee, and it sets the bond amount and form as part of the agent appointment.

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How to Apply for a Boat Registration Agent Bond:

• Contact the Oregon State Marine Board about becoming an appointed registration agent.
• Get the required bond amount and any prescribed bond form from the Marine Board.
• Have the legal business name and address exactly as they will appear on the agent appointment.
• Owner information for the surety's credit review.
• Complete the bond application and pay the premium.
• Return the signed bond to the Marine Board with your agent paperwork.

Detailed Information About the Oregon Boat Registration Agent Bond:

Who has to post this bond

Oregon requires all motorboats, and sailboats 12 feet and longer, to be titled and registered with the Oregon State Marine Board. Owners can apply directly with the Board or through an appointed agent. Agents are typically boat dealers, marinas and sporting goods retailers that want to offer registration at the counter.

ORS 830.110(10) directs the Marine Board to appoint and require the bonding of agents who issue temporary permits to operate a boat. The Board describes its agent network as bonded and licensed Marine Board registration agents. If you are applying to become one, the bond is part of the appointment, not an optional extra.

What the bond guarantees

An agent collects state title and registration fees from customers and forwards applications to the Board. Under OAR 250-010-0030, applications may be presented to an appointed agent of the Board together with the required fee. The bond guarantees the agent remits those fees and follows the Board's rules. If an agent keeps state money or mishandles applications, the Board can recover its loss from the bond.

Agent service fees

The same statute allows agents to charge a service fee, set by the Board, on top of the state fees for issuing a temporary permit. The Board revises that fee every three years based on the Consumer Price Index. Your agent agreement with the Board will show the current amount.

Before the bond is issued

The Marine Board sets the bond amount and form for each agent appointment. Confirm the required amount, the exact obligee wording and any prescribed bond form with the Marine Board before the bond is written, so the filing is accepted the first time.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Oregon Boat Registration Agent Bond:

• Oregon State Marine Board named as obligee.
• Bond amount as set by the Marine Board for the agent appointment.
• Business name on the bond matching the agent agreement exactly.
• Bond kept in force for as long as the business serves as an agent.
• Timely remittance of all state fees collected from boat owners.

Oregon Boat Registration Agent Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the Oregon Boat Registration Agent Bond: