F.A.Q.

Certificate of Deletion Vessel 
In the event that your vessel has been completely destroyed/lost/etc., you should delete it from the United States Coast Guard Registry. 

Use this link to apply for a Certificate of Deletion Vessel. 
Vessel Deletion and Registration Assistance 
There’s nothing easy about losing your vessel. If you decide to document your next vessel, we can help. 

At the Vessel Registrar Center, we take as much stress as possible out of Coast Guard documentation. From the first step of registering your vessel to renewing, replacing, or reinstating certificates, we make the process straightforward for vessel owners.

For buyers, our documentation search offers insight into a vessel’s past, while Abstracts of Title and Certified Copies of Documentation provide detailed ownership records to guide your decision.

Once you own your vessel, we offer services for mortgages, liens, and more, ensuring that your documentation remains in compliance. Let us handle the details while you enjoy your time on the water.

Below are laws related to Coast Guard documentation that could apply to your situation: 

Subpart L—Validity of Certificates of Documentation; Renewal of Endorsement; Requirement for Exchange, Replacement, Deletion, Cancellation

67.161 Validity of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a Certificate of Documentation but no trade endorsement thereon, issued to a vessel which is the subject of an outstanding mortgage filed or recorded in accordance with subpart Q of this part or any predecessor regulations, remains valid for purposes of:

(1) 46 U.S.C. chapter 125;

(2) 46 U.S.C. chapter 313 for an instrument filed or recorded before the date of invalidation, and an assignment or a notice of claim of lien filed after that date;

(3) 46 U.S.C. 56101, 56102 and 57109; and

(4) 46 U.S.C. 56301.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section do not apply to a vessel which is subject only to a mortgage filed or recorded before January 1, 1989, which had not attained preferred status as of that date.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.163 Renewal of endorsement.

(a) Requirement for renewal of endorsement. Endorsements on Certificates of Documentation are valid for 1 year, except for Recreational Endorsements on Certificates of Documentation, which are valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years. However, a Certificate of Documentation with a Recreational Endorsement and a Commercial Endorsement will only be valid for 1 year. Prior to the expiration of an endorsement, the owner of a vessel, which is not exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9, must apply for renewal of the endorsement(s) by complying with paragraph (b) of this section. The owner of a vessel exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9 must either:

(1) Apply for renewal of the endorsement by complying with paragraph (b) of this section; or

(2) Place the Certificate of Documentation on deposit in accordance with § 67.165.

(b) Renewal application. The owner of a vessel must apply for renewal of each endorsement by executing a Vessel Renewal Notification, Application for Renewal (CG-1280) certifying that the information contained in the Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remains accurate, and that the Certificate has not been lost, mutilated, or wrongfully withheld. The completed CG-1280 must be sent to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center.

(c) Requirement for renewal of recreational endorsements. A Certificate of Documentation for a recreational vessel and the renewal of such a certificate will be effective for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years for such a Certificate of Documentation for such vessel or the renewal thereof.

Note:

Renewal of endorsements on a Certificate of Documentation may be denied if the vessel owner is the subject of an outstanding civil penalty assessed by the Coast Guard.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017; USCG-2020-0215, 86 FR 5031, Jan. 19, 2021; USCG-2023-0305, 88 FR 77901, Nov. 14, 2023]

67.165 Deposit of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) Option for deposit in lieu of renewal of endorsement. In lieu of renewing the endorsement(s) in accordance with § 67.163, the owner of a vessel which is exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9 may deposit the vessel's outstanding Certificate of Documentation with the National Vessel Documentation Center.

(b) Reporting requirement. The owner of a vessel whose Certificate is on deposit in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section must make a written report to the National Vessel Documentation Center when:

(1) Exchange of the Certificate is required upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in § 67.167 (b), (c), or (d); or

(2) The vessel is subject to deletion from the roll of actively documented vessels upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in § 67.171(a)(1) through (8).

(c) Validity of document on deposit. A Certificate of Documentation placed on deposit in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section is valid for the purposes of:

(1) 46 U.S.C. chapter 125;

(2) 46 U.S.C. chapter 313;

(3) 46 U.S.C. 56101, 56102 and 57109; and

(4) 46 U.S.C. 56301.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.167 Requirement for exchange of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) When application for exchange of the Certificate of Documentation is required upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section, or the owner of the vessel chooses to apply for exchange of the Certificate pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, the owner must send or deliver the Certificate to the National Vessel Documentation Center, and apply for an exchange of the Certificate in accordance with subpart K of this part.

(b) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in § 67.161, when:

(1) The ownership of the vessel changes in whole or in part;

(2) The general partners of a partnership change by addition, deletion, or substitution;

(3) The State of incorporation of any corporate owner of the vessel changes;

(4) The name of the vessel changes;

(5) The hailing port of the vessel changes; or

(6) The vessel is placed under the command of a person who is not a citizen of the United States.

(c) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in § 67.161 and in paragraph (f) of this section, if the vessel is not at sea, or upon the vessel's next arrival in port anywhere in the world if the vessel is at sea, when:

(1) The gross or net tonnages or dimensions of the vessel change;

(2) Any beneficiary with an enforceable interest in a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition or substitution;

(3) The trustee of a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition, substitution, or deletion;

(4) A tenant by the entirety owning any part of the vessel dies;

(5) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by addition or substitution;

(6) The legal name of any owner of the vessel changes;

(7) A self-propelled vessel becomes non-self-propelled or a non-self-propelled vessel becomes self-propelled;

(8) The endorsements for the vessel change by addition, deletion, or substitution;

(9) A substantive or clerical error made by the issuing documentation officer is discovered; and

(10) For a vessel with a coastwise endorsement under 46 U.S.C. 12119, one of the events in § 68.80 or § 68.111 of this chapter occurs.

(d) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remain valid, the owner of a documented vessel must apply for exchange of the Certificate upon an election to designate a new managing owner of the vessel in accordance with § 67.113.

(e) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remain valid, the owner may apply for exchange of the Certificate if:

(1) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by deletion; or

(2) The vessel attains a special entitlement under subpart J of this part.

(f) A Certificate of Documentation which becomes invalid pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section remains valid for the purposes of filing a new mortgage or amendment, assignment, assumption, or subordination agreement for 30 days after the date it would otherwise have become invalid.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-2001-8825, 69 FR 5401, Feb. 4, 2004; USCG-2005-20258, 71 FR 61418, Oct. 18, 2006; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.169 Requirement for replacement of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) The owner of a documented vessel must make application in accordance with subpart K of this part for replacement of a Certificate of Documentation which is:

(1) Lost;

(2) Mutilated; or

(3) Wrongfully withheld from the vessel owner.

(b) When application for replacement of a Certificate of Documentation is required because the Certificate has been mutilated, the existing Certificate must be physically given up to the National Vessel Documentation Center.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31605, June 15, 1995]

67.171 Deletion; requirement and procedure.

(a) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon is invalid, except as provided in § 67.161, and the vessel is subject to deletion from the roll of actively documented vessels when:

(1) The vessel is placed under foreign flag;

(2) The vessel is sold or transferred in whole or in part to a person who is not a citizen of the United States within the meaning of subpart C of this part;

(3) Any owner of the vessel ceases to be a citizen of the United States within the meaning of subpart C of this part;

(4) The owner no longer elects to document the vessel;

(5) The vessel no longer measures at least five net tons;

(6) The vessel ceases to be capable of transportation by water;

(7) The owner fails to exchange the Certificate as required by § 67.167;

(8) The owner fails to maintain the markings required by subpart I of this part;

(9) The endorsements on the Certificate are revoked because the vessel owner is the subject of an outstanding civil penalty assessed by the Coast Guard; or

(10) The owner fails to:

(i) Renew the endorsement(s) as required by § 67.163; or

(ii) Comply with the provisions of § 67.165.

(b) Where a cause for deletion arises for any reason under paragraphs (a) (1) through (6) of this section, the owner must send or deliver the original Certificate of Documentation to the National Vessel Documentation Center together with a statement setting forth the reason(s) deletion is required.

(c) When a Certificate of Documentation is required to be deleted because the vessel has been placed under foreign flag or has been sold or transferred in whole or in part to a non-citizen of the United States, the owner of that vessel must comply with the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, and file:

(1) Evidence of the sale or transfer, if any; and

(2) Evidence that the Maritime Administration has consented to the sale or transfer, except for vessels identified in § 67.11(b) and vessels for which the Maritime Administration has granted approval for unrestricted sale or transfer pursuant to regulations set forth in 46 CFR part 221.

(d) A certificate evidencing deletion from U.S. documentation will be issued upon request of the vessel owner to the National Vessel Documentation Center upon compliance with the applicable requirements of this subpart.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by CGD 94-008, 59 FR 49847, Sept. 30, 1994; CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31605, June 15, 1995]

67.173 Cancellation; requirement and procedure.

A Certificate of Documentation issued to a vessel together with any endorsement(s) thereon is invalid, except as provided in § 67.161, and subject to cancellation upon a determination by the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center that the issuance of the Certificate was improper for any reason. When a Certificate is subject to cancellation, the owner of the vessel upon being notified of such requirement must send or deliver the Certificate to a documentation officer at the National Vessel Documentation Center. The vessel owner may submit an application for exchange in accordance with subpart K of this part to correct the error giving rise to cancellation. If the vessel for which the Certificate was cancelled was previously documented, it remains documented under the previous Certificate of Documentation, unless deleted under the provisions of § 67.171.

Note:

Certificates of Documentation which have been canceled are retained at the National Vessel Documentation Center.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31605, June 15, 1995; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52190, 52191, Sept. 30, 1998]

A Certificate of Documentation must remain on board a documented vessel according to 46 CFR 67.313. 

That states, under “Requirement to have Certificate of Documentation on board,” that “the person in command of a documented vessel must have on board that vessel the original Certificate of Documentation currently in effect for that vessel.” 

Interested parties can find vessel ownership information by applying for an Abstract of Title. 

An Abstract of Title will include the managing owner of a documented vessel as well as the ownership history of a vessel and the status of any encumbrances/liens on the vessel. 

Use this form to apply for an Abstract of Title. 

To discover if a documented vessel has an outstanding lien or mortgage against it (or had one in the past that was satisfied), vessel owners can apply for an Abstract of Title. 

This form will contain that information about encumbrances such as liens and mortgages. Additionally, the Abstract will include information about the vessel’s current ownership as well as its chain of ownership. This information was removed from vessel documentation searches sometime in 2018. 

Use this link to apply for a USCG Abstract of Title.

To be eligible for USCG vessel documentation, the Coast Guard requirements for boats include citizen requirements, size (tonnage) requirements, and marking requirements. 

First, according to 46 CFR 67.5, “any vessel of at least five net tons wholly owned by a citizen or citizens of the United States is eligible for documentation. This includes, but is not limited to, vessels used exclusively for recreational purposes and vessels used in foreign trade.” 

US Coast Guard Boat Documentation Advantages
Yes. Documented vessels are allowed into certain trades, such as the fisheries or engaging in coastwise trade (such as transporting people and/or merchandise) on the navigable waters of the United States or the Exclusive Economic Zone. Eligible vessels are unable to do so without documentation. 

Furthermore, vessel documentation often makes clearing customers easier, dealing with foreign ports and the like. 
Documented Vessels Can Apply for a Preferred Ship's Mortgage
USCG documentation makes it possible for financial institutions to offer a Preferred Mortgage. For a majority of vessel owners who wish to finance a vessel, they will most likely have to document their vessels. 

Use this form to apply for initial US Coast Guard boat documentation.

Vessel owners who wish to do so can use this form to apply for a Preferred Ship's Mortgage.
Endorsements and Vessel Documentation Laws
When documenting a vessel, vessel owners must choose an endorsement for their vessel. Examples of these include "Registry," "Coastwise," "Fishery," and "Recreational." All vessels can be used recreationally but vessels with a "Recreational" endorsement can only be used for recreation.

You can rename your vessel using the vessel documentation form for Change of Vessel Name or Hailing Port. 

You can complete this form at this national vessel documentation link.

No. 

You do not need a title for Coast Guard documented vessels. 

Vessels that are documented do not have titles. Instead, they maintain Certificates of Documentation. Depending on the laws in your state, your vessel may need to be registered with the state as well.
Documented Vessel Eligibility
If you are a citizen of the United States and your vessel measures at least five net tons, then your vessel is eligible for documentation.

Use this link to apply to make yours a Coast Guard documented vessel. 

This documentation provides for unhindered commerce between states, admits vessels to restricted trades (such as the fisheries and coastwise trade), and provides conclusive evidence of nationality.
Maintaining Your Vessel Documentation 
Coast Guard vessel documentation has to be renewed every year. However, this can be renewed for 1-5 years from the date of issuance. Vessel owners can use this link to renew vessel documentation.

Documented vessels are those which have a valid Certificate of Documentation from the US Coast Guard. These vessels are wholly owned by an American citizen (or citizens) and measure at least five net tons. 

Use this link to apply for initial US Coast Guard boat documentation. 

Documented vessels never have “titles,” instead they have Certificates of Documentation. 

On some interior structural part of the vessel’s hull, the vessel’s Official Number (following the abbreviation “NO.”) will be marked in block-type Arabic numerals that are at least three inches in height. 

You should also be able to find the vessel’s name and hailing port on the vessel’s transom or “back end.” 

If you’re unable to find the Official Number, Certificate of Documentation, and so forth, you can search for the vessel using its HIN (Hull Identification Number) through our site. 

The HIN is printed or engraved on the vessel’s aft starboard corner.

Use this link to conduct a US vessel documentation search. 

The vessel will appear in the results if it has been documented.

Vessel owners can use this link to renew boat registration. 

Documentation must be renewed annually. Through our site, vessel owners will have the option to renew their documentation for up to five years in advance. 

This only pertains to Federal documentation through the United States Coast Guard. In regards to State registration, refer to the rules in your particular state. 

Renewing less than 60 days before the expiration date is recommended. Renewing more than 60 days prior to expiration will issue renewal with a new expiration and issuance date, thus shortening the documentation’s period of validity. 

Vessel owners can renew their documentation up to 30 days after the expiration date. 

After that period, vessel owners cannot “renew” their documentation. However, they can reinstate it. Vessel owners can use this link to reinstate their vessel documentation.

Yes. For all intents and purposes, a HIN (Hull Identification Number) can be thought of as a boat's serial number. Similar to a VIN that you would find on a car, a HIN is a unique 12 to 14-character number which identifies a boat. 

Every boat that was manufactured or imported on or after November 1st, 1972 must have a HIN. Any vessels that were imported or manufactured before that are not required to have one. 

To find a HIN, check the boat’s transom, on the starboard side within two inches of the transom’s top. Should the vessel not have a transom, you will most likely find the HIN on the starboard outboard side of the hull, within a foot of the stern.

Yes. 

Vessel owners can use this link to conduct a Coast Guard registered vessel search. 

Using either a HIN (Hull Identification Number) or Official Number, users can find a vessel’s flag, its Official Number, HIN, name, service information, tonnage information, dimensions, and even when its Certificate of Documentation was issued as well as when it will expire. 

This search cannot be used to find the owner of a vessel. However, those interested in finding the owner of a vessel as well as if there are any encumbrances (such as mortgages and/or liens) against a vessel can use this link to apply for an Abstract of Title.