F.A.Q.

According to 46 CFR 67.19. “a coastwise endorsement entitles a vessel to employment in unrestricted coastwise trade, dredging, towing, and any other employment for which a registry or fishery endorsement is not required.”

If the owner of a vessel with United States Coast Guard (USCG) documentation loses their Certificate of Documentation, they will need to apply for a duplicate from the National Vessel Documentation Center. This can be done either electronically or via regular mail.

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Most likely, it means your vessel was manufactured or imported before 1972. Those vessels are exempt from having a HIN/Hull Identification Number.

To qualify for USCG documentation, a vessel must be wholly owned by a citizen of the United States and measure at least five net tons. Net tonnage is a measurement not of weight but of volume. A simple rule: if a vessel measures more than 25 feet in length, it almost invariably measures at least five net tons.

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.

An Abstract of Title for a vessel is a document that outlines the history of the ownership and registration of a particular vessel.

It includes information such as the name of the previous owners, dates of title transfer, and whether any documents have been filed with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) or other governing bodies associated with the vessel.

Net Tonnage is an important measurement used in the USCG vessel documentation process. It is a measure of a vessel’s internal volume, calculated as a function of its length, breadth and moulded depth (the vertical distance between the uppermost deck to the lowest point of the hull or keel).

The NVDC exists to facilitate maritime commerce as well as the availability of financing all while protecting United States citizens' economic privileges. It does this through enforcing regulations while providing a register of vessels available, if necessary, in times of war or emergency to protect and defend the country.

The vessel documentation renewal process begins with filing an Application for Renewal of Documentation (Form CG-1258). This form can be found here .

This must be done every single year. Failure to do so can result in penalties, loss of certain privileges, and worse.

Simply put, we designed our entire center to make the vessel documentation process easier on vessel owners. Our site provides easier access to the USCG documentation. With our site, you don’t have to worry about missing deadlines, filling out paperwork by hand, or anything of that nature.

Moreover, our site has been optimized for mobile devices. So, you can fill out our forms from anywhere and at any time. You can start them in the morning and complete them at night. Gone are the days that you would have to schedule your time around completing vessel documentation. Instead, you can fit it into your schedule that much easier.

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.