If you have a motorboat that was registered in Nevada during 2007, the time has come to renew that registration. Likewise, if you have recently purchased a new or used motorboat but have not yet registered the vessel, the time has come to do so.

In fact, all Nevada boat registrations expire on Dec. 31 each year and a change of ownership or address must be reported to the Nevada Department of Wildlife within 10 days of that change.

Registration renewals can easily be done online or at one of the department's valley offices at 4747 Vegas Drive in Las Vegas or 744 S. Racetrack Road in Henderson.

To register a newly acquired vessel, new or pre-owned, boat owners must visit one of those offices and bring in the paperwork associated with the vessel purchase.

Boat buyers are encouraged to call ahead so they know which paperwork is required for their particular circumstances and to determine whether they will need to bring the vessel in for an inspection.

Renewals for boats registered in Nevada can be completed online with a credit card at www.ndowlicensing.com.

In order to do so, the boater must first locate the access code on their official renewal notice and use that to access their vessel's record. NDOW does not accept credit cards and any of its offices, but will accept cash or checks.

To date, more than half of Nevada's boat owners have renewed their vessel registrations, but that means there are about 30,000 more to go.

As soon as temperatures begin to warm, the length of the renewal and registration lines will begin to grow, said Teligades.

When an online renewal is complete, boat owners will receive a temporary authorization number that will allow them to operate their vessel on Nevada waters for no more than 10 days after it is issued.

That authorization number must be carried while operating the vessel and until the official registration and decals are received. The decals must be placed on the bow of the boat and the registration carried on board whenever the boat is being operated.