No, USCG Documentation Numbers Cannot Expire.
A vessel documentation number is similar to a HIN number (Hull Identification Number) in this regard.
Boat Documentation Renewal
That having been said, a Certificate of Documentation does expire. If this vessel documentation isn’t renewed annually, then the documentation will expire. You can renew it every year through our site. Additionally, you have the option to renew for up to five years at once. Use this link to Coast Guard Documentation Renewal.
Renewing too early can cause your documentation to have a new, earlier renewal deadline the following year. Renewing within 30 days of your deadline is preferred by most vessel owners.
Rush processing/priority request services are available. For a fee, vessel owners can ensure that their renewal applications are placed at the top of our queue. Through this, vessel owners can receive their renewal as quickly as possible.
If your vessel’s registration has expired for 30 days or more, renewal is no longer an option. However, you can reinstate your documentation. Vessel owners can use this link for vessel documentation reinstatement.
Remember: a vessel’s Certificate of Documentation is considered not valid if the actual, physical Certificate of Documentation has been lost or mutilated. Should that occur, a vessel owner should apply for a replacement Certificate of Documentation.
For More Questions About Documentation Renewal
If you have further questions about renewing your documentation, replacing it, reinstating it, or any other action in regards to your Certificate of Documentation, contact the Vessel Registrar Center at info@usvesselregistrar.us or (800) 535-8570 Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
USCG Documentation Number Laws
The following are the laws regarding official numbers (USCG documentation numbers) as well as those regarding renewing and replacing a Certificate of Documentation.
- 67.111 Assignment of official number.
(a) The owner of a vessel must submit an Application for Initial Issue, Exchange, or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation; or Redocumentation (form CG–1258) to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center, to apply for an official number for the vessel when:
(1) Application is made for initial documentation of the vessel; or
(2) An existing vessel has been severed, with two or more vessels resulting. In this case, the official number of the original vessel is retired and the owner of each resulting vessel must apply for designation of a new official number.
(b) Upon receipt of form CG–1258, the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center will have an official number assigned to the vessel and furnish it to the vessel owner.
- 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 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 an original 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 shall be effective for a 5-year period. During the period beginning January 1, 2019, and ending December 31, 2021, the owner of a recreational vessel may choose a period of effectiveness of 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.