FAQ's

A “Registry Endorsement” on a Certificate of Documentation permits a vessel entry into foreign/international trade. Additionally, the vessel can operate in any other foreign/international employment that does not require a Fishery or a Coastwise endorsement.

According to The Code of Federal Regulations 46 CFR 67.17: “A registry endorsement entitles a vessel to employment in the foreign trade; trade with Guam, American Samoa, Wake, Midway, or Kingman Reef; any other employment for which a coastwise, or fishery endorsement is not required.”

Vessel owners can change their vessel’s endorsement/trade indicator at any time through this link to our boat documentation.

If your vessel is no longer usable then you should remove it from the Coast Guard boat registry. To do that, you should file for deletion of your Certificate of Documentation.

The laws regarding Deletion; requirement and procedure can be read here.

At this link, you can file for deletion of your vessel documentation.

Your Hailing Port Does Not Have to Be in the State Where Your Vessel is Registered 
While documented vessels must have a designated “hailing port on boat” or, as it’s also referred to, a “hailing port.” This hailing port does not have to be the port at which the vessel most often docks. The hailing port can be anywhere you choose, so long as it is a location in America. 

This is the port that the USCG will associate with your vessel. It will be on your Certificate of Documentation as well as on the hull of your vessel. 

Remember: the hailing port is not where the vessel owner hails from, but rather, where the vessel hails from. 

We recommend that you renew boat registration within 60 days of the expiration date on your Certificate of Documentation.

If you renew 60 days or fewer before your expiration date, your Certificate of Documentation will have the same expiration date in the following year.

Renewing earlier than 60 days before the expiration date is acceptable, but, you will be given a new expiration date in the following year. This new expiration date will be earlier in the year.

To use an example, if your Certificate of Documentation has an expiration date of November 30th and you decide to renew it in August, then the expiration date next year will be earlier than November. By doing this, you will “waste” money and time.

However, renewing your documentation 60 days or fewer before the expiration date maintains the same expiration date next year.

You can renew your vessel’s documentation for up to 30 days after the expiration date (at the risk of late fees). You cannot renew your Certificate of Documentation later than 30 days after the expiration date, you can only reinstate it.

For more, read Title 46/Chapter I/SubchapterG/Part 67 in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Use this link to renew vessel documentation.

You can use this to reinstate your boat documentation.

According to 33 CFR 164.11, “the owner, master, or person in charge of each vessel shall ensure that… the person directing the movement of the vessel sets the vessel’s speed with consideration for: the damage that might be caused by the vessel’s wake.”

It does not. A documented vessel’s USCG number never changes. The same goes for a HIN/Hull Identification Number.

No, a Citizen of a Foreign Country Cannot Buy a USCG Documented Vessel 

They can only do so if the vessel has been deleted or removed from USCG documentation. A foreign citizen cannot purchase a vessel that is currently documented with the USCG.

Interested parties can use this link for the certificate of deletion vessel process. 

To be eligible for USCG documentation, a vessel must meet certain criteria such as size (at least 5 net tons) and must be wholly owned by a citizen of the United States. Vessels that meet those requirements and are to be used for certain commercial activities must be documented.

Vessels that meet the above requirements and are used exclusively for recreational or sporting purposes do not need to be documented. However, they can be documented, should the vessel owner choose to do so.

An endorsement determines the activities a vessel can lawfully engage in without additional permission from the USCG. It is important for vessel owners to choose an endorsement that fits their needs in order to avoid any potential fine or other enforcement action against them. Depending on the type of endorsement chosen, it may require specific labor qualifications and/or certification as well as licensing fees or proof of insurance before it is granted.

USCG documentation must be renewed on an annual basis. This includes all vessels over five net tons that are documented with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Owners of documented vessels must complete a renewal application and pay the applicable fee to maintain their USCG documentation for another year. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) takes the expiration of documentation seriously and imposes a number of penalties for those who have let their documentation lapse.Depending upon the specific circumstances, those who have allowed their USCG documentation to expire may face one or more enforcement actions including fines, vessel detentions, and potentially worse.

USCG documentation must be renewed on an annual basis. This includes all vessels over five net tons that are documented with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Owners of documented vessels must complete a renewal application and pay the applicable fee to maintain their USCG documentation for another year.

An Abstract of Title is important when considering purchasing a vessel. When you purchase a vessel, you want to know, definitively, that the vessel is free from any liens or claims of ownership If you perform a vessel documentation search through our site, you’ll find pertinent vessel information such as the vessel’s name, its official number, flag, and hull identification number in addition to its tonnage information, service information, and dimensions.