If you have never purchased a boat before, then you should treat it in the same way as you would something like a car or even a house, and that is to say, it’s an experience that comes with much more paperwork than you might have imagined! Even in our supposed paperless society, we can’t do something simple like join a gym without filling out several forms these days, so you can expect to have to do that and more for vessel ownership. Among others, one such form that you will come into contact with over the course of your boat ownership is a CG-1258. To give you a head start on your understanding of this, here are some key things that you need to know about Coast Guard form 1258.
What Is The 1258 Form?
The 1258 form is something that you have to fill out when you apply for the initial registration and documentation of your newly purchased vessel. If the boat is brand new from the manufacturer, or you bought it on the secondary market but it has never been documented by a previous owner before, then a 1258 form application is absolutely necessary.
What Do You Need For The Form?
You will need to be prepared to provide a number of supporting documents and pieces of essential information in order to successfully complete a CG-1258 form. This will include things like proof of your US citizenship, along with the Bill of Sale that shows you are now the rightful owner of the vessel that you are attempting to register. Once all of this vital information has been gathered, the form and evidence will need to be sent to the Coast Guard and you will then wait for the return of the Certificate of Documentation (otherwise known as COD) in the mail.
Other CG-1258 Form Uses
There are a handful of extra reasons that you might need to file a CG-1258 that aren’t related to an initial application for documentation. This is also the form that is used if you need to get a replacement for your COD, for example, if the certificate has been damaged or lost. If for some reason you are notified that your documentation has been deleted from the Coast Guard system, then you will also be required to fill out a CG-1258 form in order to have your vessel re-documented. In most cases, however, you will only need to come into contact with a CG-1258 for the purposes of the initial documentation application.
If you would like assistance with the input and processing of Coast Guard form 1258 or any other kind of relevant vessel documentation that needs completing, then don’t hesitate to utilize the services of Vessel Documentation Online. We specialize in checking for errors and omissions and ensuring the fastest processing times possible, meaning that you don’t have to worry about your forms after you have completed them and left them with our team. We look forward to being able to help!