*Guys, you want to get your boat registered if at all possible. You will have to pay about $9 a year to maintain it and incur potential tax fees in the beginning. However; this will help protect your boat from theft and allow you to recover it if stolen. Also; it will allow you to insure the boat. It is fairly affordable to get property insurance and liability insurance for a boat. Also; this helps with piece of mind. Please note that most insurers utilize a $500 incident deductible unless you request something lower.
This link answers the TWRA/State questions:
http://www.tn.gov/twra/boatregistrations.html
*However, the counties have different requirements. Most boats will have a HIN or BIN number if you look good enough. On Aluminum boats; check the transom area for numbers that have been filled in with paint.
HIN Location and link to request form:
http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/hullid.pdf
Hull ID Numbers and how to interpret them:
http://boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm
Manufacturer ID Information:
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx