NMMA Releases Latest U.S. Boat Registrations Report

Overall number of registered powerboats declines; Florida remains top state for registered boats in the U.S.   

CHICAGO , February 4, 2008 – The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today released its 2006 U.S. Recreational Boat Registrations Statistics report. Copies of the annual study are now available for purchase for both NMMA members and non-members.

Nationwide , U.S. recreational boat registrations in 2006 declined 1.5 percent compared to the previous year. A total of 12.7 million vessels were registered in the U.S. in 2006, compared to 13 million in 2005.

The report also ranks all 50 states by the number of boats registered. Florida again received the top ranking among the states in terms of registered boats, with a total of 988,652 vessels recorded in 2006. That figure is actually up 1.5 percent from Florida ’s 2005 totals, with Personal Watercraft (PWC) registrations largely responsible for the increase (up 4.4 percent).

California ranked second overall, with 893,828 registrations, and Minnesota edged out the 2005 third-place holder, Michigan , with 862,937 registered vessels. The remaining top ten states for powerboat registrations in 2006 include (in order): Michigan (828,529); Wisconsin (635,751); Texas (596,934); New York (497,974); South Carolina (436,075); Ohio (412,256); and Illinois (383,615).

“The Boat Registrations report provides an excellent tool for understanding what’s happening within the recreational marine industry on a state-by-state basis,” says Jim Petru, NMMA director of Industry Research and Statistics. “The study provides valuable, in-depth information about the number of boats registered in each individual state, as well as meaningful data comparisons with previous years and specific information about state registration requirements.”

On a regional basis, the Great Lakes states together earned the top spot in the regional registration rankings, accounting for nearly 3.3 million of the total 12.7 million registered vessels in 2006. The Inland and South Atlantic regions, ranked number two and three in 2006 respectively, both saw registration gains this past year; the Inland region accounted for 2.4 million of total boat registrations in 2006, while the South Atlantic made up a little more than 2.1 million.

The 2006 U.S. Boat Registrations study is based on data collected from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2007, as reported by the individual 50 United States . Other sources used in compiling the report include: The U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Info-Link Technologies Inc.; and Statistical Surveys Inc. Boat registration statistics are the basis for allocating Aquatic Resources Trust Fund dollars among the states each year.   

Copies of the study are available upon request to NMMA members for $125; the price for non-members is $300. Orders may be placed by contacting NMMA fulfillment coordinator Chris Keil at (312) 946-6209; orderdesk@nmma.org .

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters in the United States . The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications.