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Boat Lien Check

If the seller still owes money on the boat, the lender can come after it even after you've paid. No single database shows every lien, so this walks you through each place one can be recorded, plus the ones that aren't recorded anywhere.

LIEN CHECK · FREE

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Make sure nobody else has a claim on this boat

No single database shows every lien, so check each place one can live. How is the boat titled?

Read the front of the titleIf it names a lienholder, stop. The seller needs a lien release (satisfaction) from that lender before you pay, or you pay the lender directly at closing so the release comes to you.Confirm with the State of FloridaEnter the title number in FLHSMV's free title check. If the boat doesn't come up, any county tax collector's office can confirm whether a lien is recorded on that title number.Order the Coast Guard abstract of titleDocumented boats carry mortgages and claims of lien on their federal record. Request the abstract of title from the Coast Guard's Vessel Documentation Center using form CG-7043 (small Coast Guard fee). Any open mortgage must be paid off and a satisfaction filed.Search the Florida UCC registrySome lenders, especially on business-owned boats, file against the owner instead of the title. Search the free Florida Secured Transaction Registry by the owner's exact legal name. Spelling must be exact, so try it the way it appears on the title.Ask about any loan, and get a payoff letterIf the seller still owes money on the boat, get a written payoff letter from the lender and pay the lender directly at closing. Never pay the seller and trust them to pay off the loan.Cover the liens no database showsMarina, storage, and repair bills can become liens without being filed anywhere. Ask where the boat has been kept and serviced, and whether anything is owed. Make sure your bill of sale has the seller state in writing that the boat, trailer, and motor are free of all liens.

Checking the boat itself too? Run the free HIN check to see who built it, safety recalls, and any Coast Guard records.