Our team at the Maritime Documentation Center receives a lot of questions about all the complicated vessel documentation processes, from the registration process to transfers of ownership. One of the most common queries on our site is about the option for a certificate of deletion of vessel. What is this about? When do people need to delete their vessel registration off the Coast Guard documentation? Well, this is actually a fairly common process. Let’s take a look at what it is actually about.
Why Get a Certificate of Deletion of Vessel?
A certificate of deletion of vessel allows you to, well, delete your vessel’s registration from the United States Coast Guard documentation. The vessel owner, or an authorized agent who is acting on their behalf, can apply for the deletion of the registration with the help of our website. In fact, you just need to head over to our home page and fill out the deletion form. You might be wondering when this form might come in useful. When would you need to get rid of the whole thing? Here are two of the most common cases in which people might need this specific certificate.
The Vessel is No Longer Usable
You might want to delete a vessel from the US boat registry because it’s busted, no longer working, or unsalvageable. If you are no longer able to use the vessel, after all, there is no need for you to maintain the registration. Some people think that they can take care of this by simply not minding their vessel registration anymore. While this technically works, it’s better to make it official by just filing for a certificate of deletion of vessel to make sure that it is no longer a part of the registry. This way, you will have evidence of your discontinued use and registration of the vessel in question.
You’re Selling the Vessel for Foreign Use
If you are selling or transferring your vessel to someone else within the United States, then there is a specific process that lets you do that. The transfer of ownership form on our homepage can help you officially change the vessel’s owner. This way, they can keep the registration going with the Coast Guard. However, if you are selling your vessel or transferring to someone who will not be registering it in the United States, then you can delete it from the Coast Guard registration. This way, you can officially separate yourself from the vessel and avoiding any issues arising in the future with it.
Maritime Documentation Center
Here at the Maritime Documentation Center, our mission is to help you efficiently take care of all your boat-related documents and registration. Whether you need to need to register a new vessel or get a certificate of deletion of vessel for it, we are here to help. Do you have questions about a process and are looking to learn more about how we can help? Reach out to us on our website, we are here to guide you through your vessel registration.