Unlike state-registered boats, federally documented vessels follow a specific annual renewal process. Your COD is valid for one year; update boat registration before it expires to keep your vessel legally documented. For most owners, this is routine—we’ve built our portal to make it faster, easier, and more secure.
With our help, you can file your renewal online in just a few minutes. We offer multi-year renewals and rush processing to meet your timeline and simplify your documentation needs.
When and How Often to Update Boat Registration
Annual Renewal Standards
All Coast Guard-documented vessels must renew annually unless the owner chooses a multi-year update boat registration option. Renew by submitting your form before the expiration date printed on your current Certificate of Documentation. This ensures that your documentation remains active and that your vessel stays in compliance with federal law.
If your COD expires, the vessel is removed from the registry, requiring reinstatement to regain documented status. That’s why timely renewal is essential. Failing to renew on time could also lead to fines or complications with insurance, financing, or charter operations.
Our platform makes it easy to renew before your expiration date. With just a few details, we help you update boat registration quickly and securely to avoid penalties or delays.
Multi-Year Renewal Options
While annual update boat registration is standard, owners may renew for up to five years in a single application. Multi-year renewal avoids yearly hassle—ideal for fleet operators or those wanting to simplify boat documentation. With our support, you can request a two-year, three-year, four-year, or even five-year renewal through a single application.
Choosing a multi-year renewal helps lock in compliance well into the future. It lowers the chance of forgetting to renew, especially helpful for frequent travelers or those with limited availability.
We offer multi-year renewal options directly on our portal. Once you select your preferred term, we’ll ensure your renewal request is submitted accurately and processed by the Coast Guard.
How the Vessel Registrar Center Makes Renewal Easier
Fast, Secure, and Convenient Submissions
Update boat registration is the most popular service on our platform—and for good reason. We’ve simplified the process so that vessel owners can complete and submit their renewal forms without needing to navigate complex paperwork or government portals. Everything can be handled online, and our team performs a full review before submission to help avoid delays or rejections due to common errors.
All of your information is protected through secure encryption, and you can access our forms from any device—whether you’re at your desk or aboard your vessel. We help ensure that renewals are not only submitted but also processed quickly and correctly.
Priority Request and Rush Processing
In addition to our standard renewal support, we also offer a Priority Request option for rush processing. If your Certificate of Documentation is close to expiring or you need it updated urgently for travel, sale, or inspection purposes, this feature helps move your application to the front of the line.
Using the priority option can shorten processing time, which may be critical for vessel owners preparing for a charter, a commercial run, or an international voyage. This upgrade is available right on our site, giving you greater control over your schedule and peace of mind during time-sensitive situations.
We designed our portal to support busy vessel owners who value efficiency. Our rush processing option is just one more way we help meet your needs and keep your documentation on track.
Why Timing Matters When You Renew
Renew On Time—But Not Too Early
While it’s important to renew before your documentation expires, renewing too early can shift your renewal window in a way that works against you. If you renew months in advance, the new COD will reflect your submission date rather than extending your previous expiration date. As a result, your deadline for renewal the following year will come earlier, not later.
This detail catches many vessel owners off guard, especially those who are eager to complete their annual compliance. The best approach is to renew close to—but not after—your current expiration date. Our platform makes it easy to keep track of your timing. When you use our services, we help ensure that your renewal is filed at the optimal moment to preserve your yearly cycle.
We also encourage vessel owners to keep a copy of their expiration date and set reminders if they’re not opting for multi-year renewals. Since the Coast Guard doesn’t always send renewal reminders, staying proactive is the best way to avoid lapses in documentation status.
What Happens If You Miss the Renewal Window
Reinstatement Through Our Portal
If your Certificate of Documentation expires, you’ll no longer be able to operate your vessel legally as a documented vessel. The Coast Guard considers this a lapse in registration, and you’ll need to go through a separate process known as reinstatement.
Reinstatement is not the same as a regular renewal. It involves submitting additional paperwork and potentially paying higher fees. Depending on how long it has been since your expiration date, reinstatement can also take longer to process, putting your operations at risk if you’re on a tight schedule.
Fortunately, we offer full support for reinstatement through our platform. If your documentation has lapsed, you can use our reinstatement form to begin the process immediately. As with all our services, we review your submission and ensure it meets current requirements before forwarding it to the USCG.
To avoid having to deal with reinstatement, renewing on time is the best path forward. And if your operations require uninterrupted documentation status, our multi-year renewal option is the most reliable way to protect it.
How We Help You with Renewing and Naming Boat Correctly
Comprehensive Services to Keep You Compliant
At the Vessel Registrar Center, we offer more than just renewals—we provide full support for U.S. Coast Guard documentation services. That includes initial documentation, transfers, deletions, replacements, reinstatements, and name changes. Whether you’re naming a boat for the first time or updating your documentation after a sale, our portal is built to handle it all.
Our help is designed to remove guesswork from the process. We know the rules, the timelines, and the forms you’ll need to stay compliant with USCG standards. Every submission we receive is reviewed for completeness and accuracy before it reaches the Coast Guard, helping to ensure smooth processing and timely approvals.
If you’re renewing your Certificate of Documentation and also need to update the vessel name or hailing port, we make it possible to handle both tasks at once. Our site allows you to submit all necessary information together, reducing back-and-forth and keeping your vessel compliant in every way.
When it comes to naming boat, timing your renewal, and keeping documentation up to date, the Vessel Registrar Center is here to simplify the process.