The purpose of the program is to enable DNR to dismantle vessels that do not yet satisfy the definition of “derelict” or “abandoned” but are likely to become derelict or abandoned in the near future.

 

The goal of the Vessel Turn-in Program is to prevent boats from becoming derelict or abandoned and potentially harming water quality and/or threatening public safety. 

 

With the passage of agency legislation (SB 6528), the 2020 Washington State Legislature removed the DVRP's Vessel Turn-in Program (VTiP) spending cap of $200,000.  The removal will allow VTiP to remove an increased number of vessels before they become abandoned or derelict.  Funding is still prioritized based on threats to human safety or the environment.

 

If you are interested in turning in your boat, please review the Eligibility Criteria before filling out the Application. We ask that you turn in the eligibility form with your application and make sure you have checked all the appropriate boxes and attached all the required documents.  If you are a private marina, we will also require compliance with Insurance Coverage (RCW 88.26.030). 

 

Once your application is received, we will evaluate and prioritize it with other applications we have received, then we will contact you about the status of your application. 

 

If you do not qualify or are unable to wait for a removal date, here are some other options:

• You could take your vessel to the landfill. Most landfills will require the removal of oil, fuel, batteries and any refrigerators before acceptance. Proof of ownership may also be required. Call your local landfill and see what their requirements are before taking your vessel. If you don’t have a boat trailer to haul the boat, you can find a local tow company with a flatbed truck that could transport the vessel for you, or contact a boat transport company that can load from the water if needed.

• For vessels on land you can rent a dumpster and dismantle the vessel yourself with a chainsaw or sawzall after draining and removing and legally disposing of any hazardous materials at your local landfill’s Hazo-House. Engines and boat trailers can be recycled with a metal recycler. Note that cutting up a vessel on a beach is not legal in Washington state without appropriate permits.

• Snohomish County's Solid Waste Environmental Cleanup Team (ECUP) offers a service for the recycling and disposal of unwanted boats, boat trailers, campers, and travel trailers. Here is a link to the Junk Vehicle and Boat/RV Disposal Program: http://snohomishcountywa.gov/546/Junk-VehicleBoatRV-Disposal

• If your vessel doesn’t run and is on the water, you could hire someone to tow your boat to a local boatyard or boat ramp for haul out. Some boatyards will dismantle your boat for you or you can hire a private contractor to do it. (Or choose an option from above)

• If you decide to sell or donate the vessel, make sure you file a Report of Sale with the Department of Licensing and keep a copy for your records. Make sure to have both the buyer and seller sign a Bill of Sale with the new owner’s signature, printed name, address and phone number and keep a copy for yourself. (If you do not have proof that you sold the vessel, you can still be held liable for all expenses associated with the removal and disposal should the new owner abandon it.) We recommend that you keep the bill of sale until you can verify with Department of Licensing that the new owner has titled the vessel in their name. You may want to consider meeting the buyer at a licensing office and witness them putting the vessel in their name.

No. But if you qualify, the disposal is free. 

 

Funding for the Vessel Turn-in Program comes from the Derelict Vessel Removal Account, and with the removal of the spending cap, Vessel Turn-in Program applications will be based on the same prioritization used by the Derelict Vessel Removal Program.