Use Your Common Sense
Documented vessels can have vessel names, yes. You can choose to give them “naughty boat names.”
However, there are rules as to what you can and cannot name your vessel.
Specific regulations apply to boat names, limiting them to 33 characters and prohibiting any resemblance to distress signals, inappropriate language, or racial slurs.
Use your common sense. Your vessel will be associated with you. Anyone who sees your vessel or even hears its name will think of you. Choose a name that you will be comfortable having connected to you and yours.
Whether you opt for naughty boat names or others, use this link for naming a boat.
An Online Center That Provides Vessel Documentation Solutions
Here at the Vessel Registrar Center, we help vessel owners with their vessel documentation. Indeed, we help at every stage of the documentation process. We have helped countless vessel owners to register their vessels, to renew that registration, to replace their Certificate of Registration if necessary, to reinstate it should that be required, and much more.
Even before you purchase a vessel, we can help. Our vessel documentation search makes it easy to learn more about a vessel. If you wish to know who owns a vessel, we offer Abstract of Title as well as Certified Copies of Certificates of Documentation.
Once you own the vessel of your choice, we can continue to help. If you wish to apply for a Preferred Ship’s Mortgage, to file a Notice of Claim of Lien, and much more, we can be of assistance.
Below are particular laws pertaining to United States Coast Guard documentation. They may pertain to you and your vessel:
- 67.117 Vessel name designation.
(a) The owner of a vessel must designate a name for the vessel on the Application for Initial Issue, Exchange, or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation; or Redocumentation (form CG-1258) submitted to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center:
(1) Upon application for initial documentation of the vessel; or
(2) When the owner elects to change the name of the vessel.
(b) The name designated:
(1) Must be composed of letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals;
(2) May not be identical, actually or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea; and
(3) May not contain nor be phonetically identical to obscene, indecent, or profane language, or to racial or ethnic epithets.
(c) The name of a documented vessel may not be changed without the prior approval of the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center.
(d) Until such time as the owner of a vessel elects to change the name of a vessel, the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section do not apply to vessels validly documented before January 1, 1994.
[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-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998]
- 67.119 Hailing port designation.
(a) Upon application for any Certificate of Documentation in accordance with subpart K of this part, the owner of a vessel must designate a hailing port to be marked upon the vessel.
(b) The hailing port must be a place in the United States included in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 55DC.
(c) The hailing port must include the State, territory, or possession in which it is located.
(d) The Director, National Vessel Documentation Center has final authority to settle disputes as to the propriety of the hailing port designated.
(e) Until such time as the vessel owner elects to designate a new hailing port, the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section do not apply to vessels which were issued a Certificate of Documentation before July 1, 1982.
[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]
Subpart I—Marking Requirements for Vessel Documentation
- 67.120 General requirement.
No Certificate of Documentation issued under this part will be deemed valid for operation of the vessel until the vessel is marked in accordance with this subpart.
- 67.121 Official number marking requirement.
The official number of the vessel, preceded by the abbreviation “NO.” must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals not less than three inches in height on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed to the vessel so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious. If the official number is on a separate plate, the plate must be fastened in such a manner that its removal would normally cause some scarring of or damage to the surrounding hull area.
- 67.123 Name and hailing port marking requirements.
(a) For vessels other than those covered in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the name of the vessel must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the port and starboard bow and the stern of the vessel. The hailing port of the vessel must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the stern of the vessel.
(b) Vessels with square bow. For vessels having a square bow, the name of the vessel must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the bow in a manner to avoid obliteration. The name and hailing port must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the stern.
(c) Recreational vessels. For vessels documented exclusively for recreation, the name and hailing port must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull.
(d) The markings required by paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, which may be made by the use of any means and materials which result in durable markings, must be made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals not less than four inches in height.
- 67.125 Disputes.
The OCMI for the zone in which the vessel is principally operated has final authority in any disputes concerning the permanence, durability, legibility, or placement of a vessel’s markings.
Subpart J—Application for Special Qualifications for Vessel Documentation
- 67.130 Submission of applications.
All applications made under this subpart and all subsequent filings to effect documentation, except as provided in § 67.133(b), must be submitted to the National Vessel Documentation Center.
[CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995]
- 67.131 Forfeited vessels.
In addition to any other submissions required by this part, the owner of a forfeited vessel applying for a Certificate of Documentation for that vessel must submit the following:
(a) Where the vessel has been adjudged forfeit, or the proceeds of the sale of the vessel have been adjudged forfeit to the Federal Government of the United States by a Federal District Court, a copy of the court order certified by an official of the court;
(b) Where the vessel was forfeited to the Federal Government of the United States under an administrative forfeiture action, an affidavit from an officer of the agency which performed the forfeiture who has personal knowledge of the particulars of the vessel’s forfeiture or a Declaration of Forfeiture issued by the agency which performed the forfeiture.
- 67.132 Special legislation.
(a) Vessels not otherwise entitled to be operated in the coastwise trade or in the fisheries may obtain these privileges as a result of special legislation by the Congress of the United States.
(b) In addition to any other submissions required by this part, the owner of a vessel which is entitled to engage in a specified trade because it is the subject of special legislation must include a copy of the legislation to establish the entitlement.
[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by USCG-2009-0702, 74 FR 49230, Sept. 25, 2009]
- 67.133 Wrecked vessels.
(a) A vessel owner requesting a determination that the vessel is wrecked within the meaning of 46 U.S.C. 12107 must submit the following to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center:
(1) Competent and persuasive evidence of the occasion and location of the casualty. Coast Guard situation or investigation reports are acceptable as casualty evidence. Other competent and persuasive evidence may be accepted in the discretion of the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center.
(2) A writing setting forth the physical location of the vessel, containing a guarantee that the requesting party assumes full responsibility for all costs, liabilities, and other expenses that arise in conjunction with the services performed by the board of appraisers, and stating that at the time of documentation the vessel will be owned by a citizen of the United States.
(b) In addition to other submissions required by this part, a vessel owner applying for a Certificate of Documentation for a vessel accorded privileges by the Wrecked Vessel Statute 46 U.S.C. 12107 must include a copy of the determination of the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center that the vessel qualifies for documentation under the statute.
Note:
The determination of the appraised salved value must be made by a board of three appraisers appointed by the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center. The board must determine that the repairs made upon the vessel are equal to three times the appraised salvage value. The determination of the appraised salvage value will include consideration of the fact that if the vessel is found in compliance with the Wrecked Vessel Statute it will attain coastwise and fishery privileges. The cost of the board must be borne by the applicant.
[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-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]
- 67.134 Captured vessels.
In addition to other submissions required by this part, a vessel owner applying for a Certificate of Documentation for a vessel which qualifies as a captured vessel must include a copy of the court order stating that the vessel was lawfully captured and condemned as a prize.
Subpart K—Application for Documentation, Exchange or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation, or Return to Documentation; Mortgagee Consent; Validation
- 67.141 Application procedure; all cases.
The owner of a vessel applying for an initial Certificate of Documentation, exchange or replacement of a Certificate of Documentation, or return of a vessel to documentation after deletion from documentation must:
(a) Submit the following to the National Vessel Documentation Center:
(1) Application for Initial Issue, Exchange, or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation; or Redocumentation (form CG-1258);
(2) Title evidence, if applicable;
(3) Mortgagee consent on form CG-4593, if applicable; and
(4) If the application is for replacement of a mutilated document or exchange of documentation, the outstanding Certificate of Documentation.
(b) Each vessel 100 feet and greater in length applying for a fishery endorsement must meet the requirements of 46 CFR part 356 and must submit materials required in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) Upon receipt of the Certificate of Documentation and prior to operation of the vessel, ensure that the vessel is marked in accordance with the requirements set forth in subpart I of this part.
[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-1999-6095, 65 FR 76576, Dec. 7, 2000; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]
- 67.142 Penalties.
(a) An owner or operator of a vessel with a fishery endorsement who violates chapter 121 of title 46, U.S. Code or any regulation issued thereunder is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000. Each day of a continuing violation is a separate violation.
(b) A fishing vessel and its equipment are liable to seizure and forfeiture to the United States Government—
(1) When the owner of the fishing vessel, or the representative or agent of the owner, knowingly falsifies applicable information or knowingly conceals a material fact during the application process for or application process to renew a fishery endorsement of the vessel;
(2) When the owner of the fishing vessel, or the representative or agent of the owner, knowingly and fraudulently uses a vessel’s certificate of documentation;
(3) When the fishing vessel engages in fishing [as such term is defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802)] within the Exclusive Economic Zone after its fishery endorsement has been denied or revoked;
(4) When a vessel is employed in a trade without an appropriate trade endorsement;
(5) When a documented vessel with only a recreational endorsement operates as a fishing vessel; or
(6) When a vessel with a fishery endorsement is commanded by a person who is not a citizen of the United States.
(c) In addition to penalties under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the owner of a vessel with a fishery endorsement is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of up to $100,000 for each day in which the vessel has engaged in fishing within the Exclusive Economic Zone, if the owner of the fishing vessel, or the representative or agent of the owner, knowingly falsifies applicable information or knowingly conceals a material fact during the application process for or application process to renew a fishery endorsement of the vessel.
[USCG-1999-6095, 65 FR 76576, Dec. 7, 2000]