Center console decals
Center Console Registration Numbers
Short answer
Center consoles carry the same 3-inch contrasting block characters on the forward half of both sides. The practical differences are freeboard and salt: the forward topsides are tall and flared, so a number placed too high reads as floating above the sheer line, and salt film left on the gelcoat will stop the adhesive from bonding.
Center consoles have the largest, cleanest lettering surface of any hull family we ship to — a long, uninterrupted forward topside.
That same size is why placement matters: on a tall bow there is a lot of vertical room to get the height wrong, and a set that isn't parallel to the sheer line is visible from across the marina.
Design your center console numbers
Tap the decal and type your assigned number exactly as it appears on your certificate of number.
Tap the decal to edit
Color on this hull: Black on the white topsides most center consoles carry. White on a blue, grey or black hull side.
Flare, sheer line and salt
The forward topside of a center console flares outward toward the bow, so it is a gentle compound curve rather than a flat panel. Working from the middle of the set outward keeps the end characters from tenting.
Align the set parallel to the sheer line or the rub rail — not to the waterline and not to the trailer. Those two references diverge on a flared bow, and the eye reads the rub rail.
Saltwater boats need more than a rinse: wash, then alcohol-wipe until the cloth stays clean. Dried salt is invisible and is a bond failure waiting to happen.
Where the numbers go on a center console
Forward half of both sides, above the waterline, positioned in the band between the rub rail and the boot stripe so the set sits visually within the topsides.
- Run the set parallel to the rub rail, not the waterline.
- Keep it clear of the bow rail stanchion bases and any hull-side rod-holder or vent hardware.
- Do not place it over the boot stripe or a hull-side accent stripe edge.
- Match the distance from the bow and the height below the rub rail on both sides.
Character height, spacing, prefix format and validation-decal position are set by your state. Check your state's requirements.
Installing on a saltwater hull
- 1Wash with soap and water to break the salt film, then rinse.
- 2Wipe with isopropyl alcohol; repeat until the cloth comes away clean.
- 3Tape-hinge the set and check it from the bow quarter — flare hides a tilt when you look at it square-on.
- 4Work outward from the center character so the flare has somewhere to take up the curve.
- 5Squeegee, peel the transfer tape slowly, and keep the boat dry for 24 hours before it goes back in the slip.
Terms used on this page
- Freeboard
- Hull height above the waterline. High freeboard is why center console numbers can end up placed too high.
- Sheer line
- The curve of the deck edge along the hull side — the visual reference your set should be parallel to.
- Boot stripe
- The painted stripe just above the waterline. Keep lettering above it.
Center console registration questions
How high should registration numbers be placed on a center console?
In the topside band between the rub rail and the boot stripe, on the forward half of the hull, running parallel to the rub rail. The rule requires the numbers be plainly visible above the waterline; the rub rail alignment is what makes them look right.
Do saltwater boats need different registration decals?
No — the same marine-grade vinyl is used. Saltwater boats need more thorough surface prep, because dried salt film prevents the adhesive from bonding to the gelcoat.
Can registration numbers go on the console or the hardtop?
No. The assigned number must be displayed on both sides of the forward half of the hull. Console or hardtop lettering does not satisfy the display requirement.
Order your center console numbers
Matched port-and-starboard set in marine-grade vinyl, produced in Marble Falls, Texas.