Mississippi Boat Registration?

While we are all waiting for our favorite waters to reach rule curve and clear, I want to pose this question to my MS C.C friends. Unless you've been living in a cave, everyone knows that all states have official abbreviations. Since the abbreviation for our state is MS, why does the boat registration down here begin with MI? I have wondered about this for many years, so I decided to get your input. In order to further emphasis my desire to ask this question, I give you this incident that happened to me.

My wife and I were on a 4-day fishing package to Reelfoot Lake last year in April at one of the Resorts. I was backing my boat down to the ramp, which was at least 50 yards because of lack of turnaround. A gentleman (he was a northerner-by his accent) said to me "You back pretty good for somebody from Michigan". I replied "Well Sir, I'm not for Michigan, I'm from Mississippi". He looked at me rather strange and made no comment. I then said "We just haven't caught up yet". I think everybody knows that the sate abbreviation for Michigan is MI ! It was really kind of an embarassment. If somebody sent me a letter addressed to Southaven, MI it would be returned to sender. Please share you comments on this subject!

It stands for MI fish. Stay home. [emoji12][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

It bugs me too! I have no answer.

They spelled it out all the way but the decal printers cut it off. Just saying....

Shouldn't it be Mrs.?????

MI was short for MISS. I still have the registration for my Dads old boat that dates back before 1970, which was before the standard two letters for the state was adapted. At the time the two letter abbreviation was being put in place for boats, Being the southern gentlemen and women we are, we let Michigan have first choice. Well, you know they picked MC, which let us keep the MI we had always used, and still do. Thanks to them, there should be no confusion.

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Originally Posted by E-Z Poleholder

MI was short for MISS. I still have the registration for my Dads old boat that dates back before 1970, which was before the standard two letters for the state was adapted. At the time the two letter abbreviation was being put in place for boats, Being the southern gentlemen and women we are, we let Michigan have first choice. Well, you know they picked MC, which let us keep the MI we had always used, and still do. Thanks to them, there should be no confusion.

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I remember when the abbreviation for Mississippi was Miss, but I thought I had seen boats on Michigan waters in fishing shows that had MI in the registration? Maybe I was wrong! Still just don't seem right. That man up at Reelfoot i mentioned must have thought I was from Michigan from my boat registration, and he was a yankee!

I think when Rees tunes in on this we'll get an answer!

Ask him to have it changed at their next meeting..

I think it should be ole miss.

I dont care if its XX lol

I asked MDWFP and here's the reply.
Thank you for contacting us at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
Back when US Postal System changed the old zip code system in the 80's and the US Coast Guard changed their system, the two did not talk on the abbreviations on the different state names...That's how we ended up with MI instead of MS.
Thanks and be safe outdoors...
Sammy Fisher

Thanks for clearing that up, Cane......but I'm not even gonna comment on the answer they gave!!

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Originally Posted by armyman

Thanks for clearing that up, Cane......but I'm not even gonna comment on the answer they gave!!

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Im not gonna either

If anybody would like to comment on my thread, do so soon.......Because I'm gonna ask "G" to delete it before any out-of-staters sees it! I don't want them to know how far behind we are!

Bwahahaha.....I think they already know lol

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Originally Posted by armyman

If anybody would like to comment on my thread, do so soon.......Because I'm gonna ask "G" to delete it before any out-of-staters sees it! I don't want them to know how far behind we are!

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Dang armyman,

with the size of the crappies and the good fishing ya'll have who cares how far behind you are , heck I would tell them to catch up if they could !!!:ThumbsUp

Thanks strmwalker, but I'd rather be recognized for being from Mississippi and not Michigan when people up north see my boat registration! Then I could brag!!:)

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Originally Posted by armyman

Thanks strmwalker, but I'd rather be recognized for being from Mississippi and not Michigan when people up north see my boat registration! Then I could brag!!:)

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Brotherman,

when I lived up north in New York they all knew I was not from the north just by the way I talked and carried myself , but when they would ask where I was from I always told them from the South Bronx's !!!:biggrin

Good idea, strmwalker! If I'm ever in that situation again like I was at Reelfoot, I'll just say I'm from South Michigan, and when I open my mouth I'll remove all doubt!:Rofl

We can thank 2 federal government agencies for the screw up. The post office for not checking with the coast guard or the coast guard for not checking with the post office