Registering your boat with the Coast Guard is not as difficult as imagined. The Coast Guard’s straightforward, step-by-step system makes registering and documenting your boat easy. If you plan to use your boat in U.S. waters, you must abide by several federal laws. In terms of importance, the USCG Navigation Act of 1920 and the Vessel Bridge-to-Bridge Radiotelephone Act are the two most notable. As part of these laws, the U.S. Coast Guard must register all watercraft that operate within the United States’ borders (USCG).
Recreational boats over 16 feet in length operating in state waters and most commercial vessels over 100 gross tons must be registered with the USCG’s maritime documentation center (MDC). Your application should indicate whether or not your boat will be used in both international/interstate and domestic waters; otherwise, indicate international/interstate use only. There are many ways to register your boat at the maritime documentation center, and we’ll show you how to do so in this post. What are we waiting for?
Gather Your Vessel’s Documents when Registering a Boat with The Coast Guard
All vessels in U.S. waters must be registered with the Coast Guard. A boat or other watercraft is included in this category. Are you having trouble registering your boat with the Coast Guard? The Coast Guard offers a marine documentation facility that may assist. Although this may seem like a simple task, remembering it is much more complicated! Depending on the kind of boat, location, and current status of the owner, the criteria for boat registration might vary widely.
You’ll need to verify your boat’s flag state and establish resident status before starting. Your marine safety equipment and navigational lights should also be able to fulfill state and municipal regulations. Your Hull Identification Number (HIN), which may be found on the stern or backside of your vessel, is the most crucial document you’ll require. The rear or beneath one of the pontoons of some boats has it etched, so check there if you’re not sure where it is.
Complete Form CG-1258 And Send It in With All of Your Supporting Documents
A boat registration with the United States Coast Guard might be challenging, but it does not have to be very complex. You’ll want to double-check that you have everything you’ll need before making this critical journey to the coast guard station. Make sure that you sign and date all of your paperwork in a thorough and readable manner.
You must offer as much data as possible in Package 2 of the three-part CG-1258 since the coast guard does not have time to read your thoughts. This is where you will enter information on the boat’s length, breadth, and kind, among other things. This form must have particular components that must be completed for your commercial fishing vessel to be registered appropriately.
Wait For Your Boat Registration Number and Certificate of Documentation
When you’ve spent a lot of time and effort getting your boat ready for launch, it’s hard not to be frustrated or worried when you learn that you’re still missing a piece of equipment or paperwork before setting sail. Because there is an alternative to interacting with the federal government, you may register with your state’s marine documentation center instead of the federal government.
When you buy a boat, it will come with a Certificate of Documentation, also known as the Vessel Documentation, according to Wikipedia.org. This document is required by law. This document proves that the vehicle has been adequately documented and is permitted to operate in the United States’ waters. Once you have finished the paperwork, the coast guard will assign your yacht a number. Within 12 weeks, you will get your vessel numbers in the mail, courtesy of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
File A Change of Address Form If You Move
When you relocate to a new location, whether across town or the nation, you must register a change of address form with the Post Office as soon as possible after you arrive. What is the reason behind this? You can avoid getting all those credit card applications in your inbox from shops that have neglected to update their mailing lists by completing a change of address form. The Coast Guard will save time (and money) if you no longer need any postal communication to be delivered to your previous address since you have changed your address.
The Coast Guard registration process is reasonably straightforward. You have the freedom to do it whenever and anywhere you choose online. The marine documentation center strives to make the process as simple as possible with the various procedures.
When registering your boat via the marine documentation center, this page provides all the information you need, including what you’ll need to ensure your vessel is correctly recorded when you submit the necessary papers for registration. The marine documentation center may be reached at 1-800-535-8570 if you have any queries.