Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Temporary Boat Registration (Individual) Bond - Statewide in Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

If you sell boats, boating equipment or sporting goods in Pennsylvania under your own name and want to write temporary registrations at the counter, this bond is what the Fish and Boat Commission needs before it sends you registration forms. The minimum is $2,000 for each issuing location, and once you are active you keep $2 for every temporary registration you issue.

Pennsylvania requires every boat registration issuing agent to post a bond before the Fish and Boat Commission delivers any registration forms. The Commission's minimum is $2,000 for each location that issues temporary registrations, and busier agencies are expected to carry more. This page covers a sole proprietor applying on Form PFBC-751, which comes with a one-time, nonrefundable $250 application fee.

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How to Apply for a Temporary Boat Registration (Individual) Bond:

Read the Commission's Boat Registration Issuing Agent Rules and Regulations before you sign the application.
Complete Form PFBC-751, mark Individual Proprietorship, and sign it in front of a notary.
Include the $250 nonrefundable application fee, payable to the PA Fish and Boat Commission.
Obtain a surety bond of at least $2,000 for each location where you will issue temporary registrations.
Have at least one person with primary responsibility for registrations complete Commission training.
After approval, send each temporary registration application, the fees and the PFBC-725 summary report within 10 days of issuance.

Detailed Information About the Pennsylvania Temporary Boat Registration (Individual) Bond:

This bond is for the agent, not the boat owner

A boat buyer does not purchase this bond to register a boat. It is posted by a business the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission appoints as an issuing agent, so the business can hand customers a temporary registration at the point of sale. Under 30 Pa.C.S. § 5304, every issuing agent must give bond to the Commonwealth, in a sum set by the Commission's executive director, before any supply of registration forms is delivered.

How much bond you need

58 Pa. Code § 93.13 requires the application to come with a bond in favor of the Commission in a minimum amount specified by the executive director. The Commission's agent handbook puts that minimum at $2,000 for each location where temporary registrations are issued. It also tells agents to buy enough bond to cover the supply of registrations they expect to need, using prior year sales as the guide, and says large volume agencies should carry a proportionately larger bond.

Applying as an individual proprietor

Form PFBC-751 asks for your form of business organization, and Individual Proprietorship is one of the choices. You list yourself as the owner, give your Federal ID or Social Security number and your Pennsylvania Sales and Use Tax License number, and answer whether your trading as name is registered under the Fictitious Names Act. The application is signed under oath before a notary. Make sure the name on the bond reads the same way as the applicant and trading as names on the PFBC-751.

What the bond stands behind

Agents collect registration money from customers and must forward it, with the paperwork, within 10 days of issuing a temporary registration. Section 5304 adds a penalty of 10 percent per month, compounded, on late amounts and lets the Commission revoke an agent who stays unpaid for 30 days. The bond gives the Commonwealth a source of recovery if an agent collects that money and does not send it in.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Pennsylvania Temporary Boat Registration (Individual) Bond:

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission as obligee, on the Commission's Boat Bond form.
Bond amount set by the executive director, with a $2,000 minimum for each issuing location.
A business dealing in boats, boating equipment or sporting goods, or a temporary tag or messenger service.
Federal ID or Social Security number and a Pennsylvania Sales and Use Tax License number on the application.
At least 25 temporary registrations a year to keep the agency, unless the executive director grants an exception.

Pennsylvania Temporary Boat Registration (Individual) Bond FAQs:

I just bought a boat. Do I need this bond to get a temporary registration?

No. The issuing agent posts this bond, which is usually the dealer selling you the boat. You get the temporary registration from the agent and carry the green copy on the boat. It is valid for 60 days from the date of the application.

Is $2,000 the full bond amount?

It is the floor, and it applies to each issuing location. The Commission's handbook tells agents to size the bond to the supply of temporary registrations they need, with prior year sales as the usual measure, and expects large volume agencies to carry a proportionately larger bond.

Can I apply before I have the bond?

Yes. The Commission's application page says the bond may be secured after approval, but waiting delays activation of your agency. Having the bond ready with the PFBC-751 avoids that gap.

What can I charge customers for issuing a temporary registration?

The agent handbook lets you keep $2 for each temporary registration issued and $1 for each Use Permit Decal. The registration fees themselves belong to the Commission and are due within 10 days.

What happens if I fall behind sending money to the Commission?

Under 30 Pa.C.S. § 5304, late amounts carry a penalty of 10 percent per month, compounded, and the Commission may revoke your agency after 30 days of nonpayment. Missing the payment deadline is also a summary offense.