Every boat that was manufactured or even imported on or after November 1st, 1972, has to have a HIN. Consequently, any vessel imported or manufactured before that date are exempt from this requirement.

Abbreviated “HIN,” is, more or less, the equivalent of a car’s VIN (“Vehicle Identification Number.”) The HIN is a 12 or 14-character number that identifies a specific vessel. You may have seen older vessels that don’t have a HIN. That’s because vessels that were manufactured or imported before 1973 are exempt from having a HIN.

Coast Guard documentation requirements for eligibility state that a vessel has to measure at least five net tons. This “net tonnage” is not a measurement of weight. Rather, it’s a measurement of volume.

USCG documented vessels require a fishery endorsement to land its catch, wherever it is caught, in the United States. This is the endorsement to engage in fishing activities on the navigable waters of the United States or in the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

Your hailing port is where your vessel claims origin. You can choose your hailing port to be anywhere you would like, provided it is a place in the United States. Specifically, so long as it is in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 55DC, you can select a designated location or place as your hailing port. Coastal, landlocked, you can choose anywhere you would like.

Your hailing port does not have to be the vessel’s physical location nor where it resides the most. In fact, it does not have to be anywhere the vessel is registered, either.

Should you have documented your vessel with the USCG, then both the name as well as the hailing port are registered. Specifically, they’re registered on your CG-1270 Certificate of Documentation.

Vessels registered with a state (as opposed to the USCG) do not require listing a vessel’s name on the registration documentation.

To document your vessel with the Coast Guard, complete this form.

No. In fact, a USCG documented vessel cannot also have a State title. You must surrender your vessel’s State title to document/register it with the USCG. It is illegal to have a Certificate of Documentation and State Title simultaneously.
Initial USCG Documentation 
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.

Should you find yourself buying a boat without a title, there are two likely scenarios. You may have purchased a small vessel with a lost title. Or, more likely, the vessel is longer than 27 feet, and you can find its name/hailing port marked on the back. In that case, it is a USCG documented vessel.

The HIN number is to a boat as the VIN number is to a car. This 12 or 14 character number identifies each boat. Any vessel that was manufactured or imported after or on November 1st, 1972 has to have a HIN.

If your boat’s Certificate of Documentation (COD) has lapsed, you must reinstate it with the U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center in order to remain compliant with federal regulations.

If it has been more than 30 days since your vessel documentation expired, then you cannot renew your USCG documentation. Instead, you must reinstate it.

When it comes to vessel documentation, you should choose the endorsement that fits how you plan to use the vessel. If you are just going to use the vessel for fun, to have a good time, then your endorsement should be for “Recreation.” You should also choose that endorsement if you are just registering your vessel so that you can apply for a Preferred Ship’s Mortgage. A hailing port is a term used in the context of United States vessel documentation. It is a required field for all USCG documentation and serves as the designated port of origin for vessels that have been documented with the Coast Guard. The hailing port must be a U.S. Port, and it will appear on the vessel's Certificate of Documentation.

There are specific requirements when it comes to marking your documented vessel. These must be followed to be in compliance.