Time to check boat decals to make sure they’re still valid and if they expire March 31, to use one of several convenient ways to renew them, including the one-stop solution of vehicle registration agents, state boat registration officials say.

There are 290 vehicle registration agents in the state, most of them with longer hours and open on more weekends than the Department of Natural Resources customer service center. Boat owners can renew a registration or get a duplicate and walk out with their decal that same day.

“Now is the time to check your decals to make sure they are still valid and if they’re expiring, to renew them before the ice goes out so you’re ready for the boating fun ahead,” says Susan Cook, operations section chief in the DNR Bureau of Customer and Outreach Services.

DNR has sent out 263,000 boat renewal notifications and has emailed 40,000 boat owners with a reminder in the last few weeks. Boat registrations are on a three year cycle; registrations renewed in 2013 will be good until March 31, 2016.

There are several convenient ways to renew, including since 2010 the option of using the vehicle registration agents. Agents include hotels, chambers of commerce, marine supply stores, and the like.

Cook says that boat owners can also renew registration online or by mail. More information on these options and a link to DNR’s online licensing center can be found on the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, by searching keywords “boat registration.”

Logo courtesy Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources