Looks like I steered the political hornets nest with this one... But it is interesting to see others take on it.

A few notes I forgot in my original post:

They also issue you a Hull ID number when you first take it in for inspection to prove it is actually a home built water craft.

It is all about money the registration law was past in the mid 1980's to intercase the states share of federal excise tax on ammunition and fishing tackle which is disturbed based on the number of hunting & fishing license sold and the number of boat registrations sold regardless of type.

If you are caught in ANY water craft (blow up raft, knew kayak pedal boat, etc... i think their is an exception for inner-tubes) with out a registration and not form a state that does not require registration it is a $95 fine.

The idea that it cuts down on theft is bull! A group I volunteer with had 5 kayaks stolen a few years back and Ohio department of natural resources who controls registration and the police told us they were probably in WV or Indiana already and sold where their is no registration requirement.

Yes the stickers look obnoxious but 99.99 % of the hand powered boats around here are either alumnus canews or cheep plastic wall mart kayaks . . . And it is the government think they care... pay up and shut up.