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Florida Vessel Turn In Program

The Florida Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP) allows for Florida residents and businesses who have received a written citation or a written warning for their vessel being At-Risk, to voluntarily surrender their unwanted vessels to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission free of charge. Surrendered vessels will be removed from Florida waters and destroyed. The removal of unwanted vessels is a preventative measure targeted towards the reduction of derelict Vessels in the state of Florida. Unwanted At-Risk vessels are at increased risk for becoming derelict, hazardous, and harmful to the environment. Additionally, a derelict vessel is far more expensive to remove and incurs criminal liability for the owner. The Florida VTIP allows for vessels to be removed before reaching this critical point.

The Vessel Turn In Program will award VTIP removals on a First Come - First Served basis. FWC will accept applications on a continuous basis until available funding has been exhausted or the program ends, whichever occurs first. The costs of removal, destruction, and disposal of eligible surrendered VTIP vessels listed on complete and eligible applications shall be funded 100 percent by this program. There will be no cost to the owner of the vessel for this removal, destruction, and disposal process.

Application Process

Private citizens and businesses are eligible for the Florida VTIP Program. The vessel must be free of all liens or other claims of ownership, and the applicant must be the titled owner of the vessel.

  1. Download and complete the Florida VTIP application. Please do not leave any box blank.
  2. Attach proof (copy) of Title that lists the Florida VTIP applicant as the titled owner of the vessel, any at risk citations the owner has received for the vessel, copy of applicant’s valid government issued ID and photos of the vessel. These documents must be in PDF, JPEG, or WORD format.
  3. Attach the completed and signed VTIP Waiver and Release form.
  4. Confirm that all the information provided on the application is true, correct, and complete.
  5. Email the application and required supporting documents to VTIP@myfwc.com. You will receive confirmation that your application has been received within 5 business days. If you do not receive confirmation, please verify that the application email address was input correctly.
  6. If any information on the application changes before receiving your application decision inform the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) immediately by contacting our office staff at (850)488-5600 or emailing VTIP@myfwc.com.
  7. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will notify vessel owner(s) via email if their application has been accepted or rejected within 3 weeks of the application submission dates.

Removal Process

  1. If accepted, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will mail the owner a self-addressed stamped envelope to submit their JUNKED title to the FWC program office. The junked title submitted at this stage must be the original, NOT a copy. Please refer to the useful links section for an example of a junked title.
  2. The titled owner must convert their title to JUNKED by marking in pen or marker the word JUNKED across the face of the vessel title. The titled owner must then sign and date directly above the word “JUNKED.”
  3. The owner will then place the JUNKED title into the self-addressed postage paid envelope and mail to back to the FWC VTIP program office.
  4. Once the JUNKED title has been received by the program staff, the removal project for the vessel will be awarded and the applicant notified of additional steps in the process.

Useful Links

Contact Information

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Boating and Waterways, Attn: VTIP
620 S. Meridian Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
(850) 488-5600
Email: VTIP@MyFWC.com