# Jon Boat Registration



## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

:evil: :evil: :evil: 
Ok guys I need to vent after wasting almost 45 minutes on the phone with the Utah DMV.
My registration renewal showed up last week and my fees jumped from $28 last year when I registered the boat for the first time to $148 this year.

I called to ask what the problem was and they told me my boat was reclassified to a regular 19'-23' vessel. Who reclassified it I sure as hell don't know because nobody EVER came to look at my boat. I told her this boat has been registered under the Jon Boat category ever since it was built in 2003 and that according to their website, the fee is only $10 regardless of age or length.

She put me on hold while she called the "support office" for help. She came back to me and said that since my boat is 19' long that it is too long and can't be a Jon boat. But since the boat was homemade, they would cut me a deal and only charge me $58. Then tried to tell me what a great deal I was getting. I told her that's all fine but to show me where they are getting the definition that a Jon Boat can't be 19' long. She said there is no exact definition but that is what the "support office" said. She couldn't tell me what exactly their definition of a jon boat was. I asked her to look at their own website that states that length on a jon boat doesn't matter. She looked it up and said she has never seen that before and that it is not in the guidelines they regularly follow but she'd check with the "support office" again. Well 10 minutes later she comes back and says that if I really believe it is a jon boat then I need to take it down to the local office and convince the manager that it is a jon.

I've got to say that the conversation was cordial and she was very nice on the phone but come on people, it's right there in black and white. So now I guess I have to take an afternoon off of work to haul my boat into downtown Ogden to argue with another guy who probably won't know what their own regs say.

UgggghhH! Anybody else ever have this issue?

Here is a link to the table of the fees, it's about halfway down the page.
http://dmv.utah.gov/vehicles-by-type/light-trucks-and-pickups/227-uniform-fees


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have explained this to several of my relatives and friends over the years, yes they were over paying to register their jon boats too. They were all paying around $150 a year for registration according to the length of their boats. In the end they got reimbursed for previous years registration and now pay the $38 that it should be.
Swaner, you are absolutely correct on what the fee should be, and it is in black and white where it classified as a utility or jon boat. I would take the boat to them and show them what it is. Now one more word of advice, I have had them ask me what size my motor is because they wanted to charge me more if it was over 25 horse power. I don't know if they still ask that but I would not have a motor on when you take the boat to them. If they ask, you are running a 5 HP johnson outboard. If the states own rules and regulations are confusing to them, how do they expect us to know everything. DON'T OVERPAY just take the boat to them and argue your case.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

One other thing, for guys that are purchasing new jon boats from a dealer, don't let them license your boat. Pay the sales tax and license the boat yourself or there is a good chance you will license it according to length and pay the $150 a year Swaner is talking about. I had this happen to me with my last boat purchase, I told the dealer I would license it myself and saved $110 that year. I have seen the same thing happen with friends when they purchased new from a dealer and they had to argue with the state that it is a Jon boat to get the fee reduced. Just keep that in mind when purchasing from a dealer, make sure they are not registering according to length.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

Thanks Fowlmouth. I'll have to take it down there I guess. It is too bad that I have to take off work and take money out of my own pocket to go down there for their mistake. I can't believe they can just randomly reclassify someones property with no notification. Nobody ever looked at the boat at all.

By the way, I did find their "definition" of a jon boat. 
Under the Utah Code 59-2-405.2 it states:
(e) "Jon boat" means a vessel that:
(i) has a square bow; and
(ii) has a flat bottom.

Looks like I meet both of those requirements.
Here is a link to the section if anyone is interested in some reading.
http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE59/htm/59_02_040502.htm
I may print it out to take with me. Just in case they disagree with me again.


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## Dave B (Oct 1, 2007)

So my boat is every bit a jon boat other than it's not a square bow, a mod v should be included what a joke...


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Swaner tell them your boat is a john boat and it a flat bottom boat. then you will have to fill out a paper to get the money back. if you need help pm and I will help you out.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Dave B said:


> So my boat is every bit a jon boat other than it's not a square bow, a mod v should be included what a joke...


It is a utility boat and should be registered as a utility boat. Go fight it with the Tax Commission. Too many hunters over paying for their boat registrations. As I stated before, do not let them charge you according to the length of your boat. That only applies if it is a big fishing or ski boat. A utility boat, Jon or canoe is $10 + assesment according to the year.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Dave make sure it says UTILITY boat. I just took care of Swaner.Dave have you already paid for yours to have your done ?


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

Well got it done this morning. I ended up having to argue again that the 15' limit does not apply to jon boats. And again I was told that their website was just wrong. Then they pulled out the rule book and we got it figured out. $38 is way better than $148. Thanks for the help Dustin!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Swaner said:


> Well got it done this morning. I ended up having to argue again that the 15' limit does not apply to jon boats. And again I was told that their website was just wrong. Then they pulled out the rule book and we got it figured out. $38 is way better than $148. Thanks for the help Dustin!


who helped you?


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I talked to Courtnee at first and she said they'd take care of it. So she took me over to a lady to pay and get it changed and then that lady argued that it wasn't a jon boat and that the rules changed in July. So Courtnee came back over then went back to her office to grab a book and showed the lady where the reg is stated. I would have been screwed if Courtnee wasn't there because the other lady wasn't budging.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Im glad she took care of you.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I don't know why they can't understand their own fee schedule. It is in black and white, but yet some of them still refuse to believe it. These people work there and don't know what the fees are, it just pizzes me off. This state charges way too much for registration fees anyway. 
Glad you got it sorted out.


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## Jeff Bringhurst (May 20, 2009)

Swaner said:


> that lady argued that it wasn't a jon boat and that the rules changed in July.


Makes me wonder how many of us are going to have to deal with this the next time we register our boats. :shock: Mine is due next April.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> I don't know why they can't understand their own fee schedule. It is in black and white, but yet some of them still refuse to believe it. These people work there and don't know what the fees are, it just pizzes me off. This state charges way too much for registration fees anyway.
> Glad you got it sorted out.


Some of the people dont want to keep up on the changes. same with some of the leads at them.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

The thing they get stuck on is where it says "canoes, jon boats, utility boats, or other boats under 15 feet in length".

They are all reading it as only boats under 15' feet whether they are canoes, jon boats, ski boats or yachts. Although I've never seen a 15' yacht


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## wingmanck (Sep 7, 2007)

I unknowingly made the mistake of letting the dealer licence my boat when I bought it, so I overpaid the first year too. The next year (after learning about how I was overpaying) I spent over an hr at the DMV getting everything straightened out, but I was never reimbursed for that 1st year's overcharge. It's been quite a few years now (6ish???). Do I still qualify and if so, what do I need to do?

Thanks in advance!


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

wingmanck said:


> I unknowingly made the mistake of letting the dealer licence my boat when I bought it, so I overpaid the first year too. The next year (after learning about how I was overpaying) I spent over an hr at the DMV getting everything straightened out, but I was never reimbursed for that 1st year's overcharge. It's been quite a few years now (6ish???). Do I still qualify and if so, what do I need to do?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


No you waited to long. Plus the dealers charge extra to do it for you.


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