The internet's most comprehensive resource for Coast Guard documentation, boat registration, and
foreign registry.
A complete gathering of affordable services, forms, research tools, information, guidelines, and resources.
Serving vessel owners, buyers, sellers, marine lenders, yacht brokers, boat dealers, and attorneys.
Vessel Documentation
All you need to know
about Coast Guard vessel documentation and mortgages.
Boat Registration
Resources for state level boat, trailer, and outboard
motor registration or titling.
Title Services
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vessel documentation and
boat registration services.
Vessel Forms
A full compliment of forms
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state level boat registration.
Vessel Database
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vessel documentation and
boat registration databases.
Titling Guides
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Federal ● State ● Foreign
COAST GUARD VESSEL DOCUMENTATION PREFERRED SHIPS MORTGAGES
VESSEL TITLE RESEARCH BOAT REGISTRATION
YACHT REGISTRY BOAT TITLING
Recreational ● Commercial
Boat Owners
Information, resources,
and guidelines for maintaining your title and selling a boat.
Boat Buyers
Guidelines and resources
for making the right choices
on buying and titling a boat.
Marine Lenders
Resources and guidelines for securing boat loans on both
the state and federal levels.
Yacht Brokers
Items of special interest,
tools and other resources
for yacht brokers.
Boat Dealers
Coast Guard documentation, and state level resources for new boats and trade
vessels.
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Services, forms, guidelines,
and resources designed especially for attorneys.
Welcome!
You are about to experience the world of vessel titling like never before. With the latest
online advancements, we can now place everything you will ever need to
document, title, or register any vessel right at your fingertips. In
addition to a wealth of information, our web pages offer a full compliment
of services, forms, databases, and guides which are available at just a
fraction of the usual costs. Please
click here to learn more about our web site and its navigation features.
Vessel
Documentation - Coast Guard vessel documentation is a
national form of vessel registration which is administered by the U.S.
Coast Guard's National Vessel Documentation Center. It is one of the
oldest functions of our Government, dating back to the 11th Act of the
First Congress. Vessels that meet the required qualifications are issued
a Certificate of Documentation that serves as evidence of ownership and
entitles the vessel to engage in certain commercial activities. Although
vessel documentation is optional for vessels that operate exclusively
for recreational purposes, it is required for vessels that will engage
in commercial activities within U.S. waters. Certificates of
documentation for commercial vessels must be endorsed for the respective
types of usage. Reasons for Vessel
Documentation - Coast Guard vessel documentation is not
required for pleasure or recreational usage, which includes bareboat
charters. However, there are several reasons for which vessels are
placed into Coast Guard documentation. First, a vessel can not engage in
commercial activities within the United States unless it becomes
documented and attains the respective trade endorsements. Second, marine
lenders usually require vessel documentation in order to acquire a
Preferred Mortgage which grants the ultimate contractual lien against
any vessel. Third, owners who venture into international waters usually
elect to document their vessels in order to attain certain protections
afforded by the US flag. A certificate of documentation makes it easier
for passage into foreign ports and is widely accepted by customs
officials. Finally, some owners elect to document their vessel just for
the prestige of owning a vessel which is said to carry the U.S. flag.
From a visual perspective, Coast Guard documentation also
precludes vessels from having to display state registration numbers. In
summary, vessel documentation provides a more
universally recognized certificate of ownership that is recognized
worldwide and is supported by a detailed abstract reflecting all
vessel ownership and lien transactions. Vessel
Qualifications for Documentation - In basic terms, a vessel must measure
in volume at a minimum of five net tons. Depending the length beam, and overall
depth, most vessels will need to be at least approximately twenty five
feet in length to qualify. Vessel tonnage is determined by a measurement process rather than by calculating the vessel's weight or
displacement. Depending on a vessel's length, the Cost Guard will
require either a simple declaration from the owner, or a formal detailed
measurement by an approved agency. Although the place of build is not an
issue for recreational vessels, evidence that a vessel was built in the United States is required
for a vessel which is to be used in a fisheries or coastwise trade. This
is usually provided by the builder who will issue a Builder's
Certificate, which also serves as the vessel's first evidence of title. Ownership
Qualifications
for Vessel Documentation - As a general rule, all owners of a documented
vessel must be US Citizens. This also applies to legal entities such as
Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, and Partnerships.
Corporations must be registered in the U.S. in order to own a documented
vessel. Principals who own and operate corporations other legal entities
that own a documented vessel must be
U.S. Citizens in their own right. An individual person who owns all or
part interest in a documented vessel must be native born, naturalized,
or a derivative U.S. citizen. Cost Guard documented vessels may be
operated or placed under the command of a foreign citizen only if the
vessel is used for recreational purposes. Requirements
for Documented Vessels. -- The Coast Guard
assigns a unique documentation number when each vessel is first placed
into documentation. The owner must also designate a name and hailing
port to coincide with the documentation number. These items must be
affixed to the vessel in a certain manner before it commences operation
under a valid certificate of documentation. The certificate of
documentation and any mortgages recorded against the vessel must be
carried on board at all times. A replacement certificate of
documentation must be applied for if there are any changes in the
vessel's ownership or the documentation's status. Certificates of
documentation must be renewed on a yearly basis at no cost to the
vessel's owner. Vessel
Documentation Process - Vessel documentation procedures can vary in
complexity with respect to the type of transaction and a vessel's
intended usage. Documentation requirements and procedures are based on a
set of federal rulings known as the Code of Federal Regulations. These
are administered by The National Vessel Documentation Center in Falling
Waters, West Virginia. This facility implements all vessel documentation recordings and issues the Certificates of Documentation.
Vessel documentation forms, guidelines, and instructions may be found on
our web site or by visiting the National Vessel Documentation Center's
home page. This agency also administers all subsequent vessel recordings
and changes to the certificate of documentation. Vessel
Documentation Costs - Vessel documentation fees for initial
documentation, changes of ownership, mortgage recordings, and other
miscellaneous transactions have increased over the past
several years. However, the basic cost of vessel documentation in itself
is not prohibitive when compared to the expense of employing the
assistance of a documentation professional. On the positive side, there are no yearly renewal fees or ancillary
taxes associated with documentation. In most cases, the benefits of
documentation outweigh the expenses involved placing a vessel under the
U.S. flag. The National Vessel Documentation Center obtains a schedule
of fees which can be viewed by visiting its web site. Vessel
Documentation Information - You will find our web site to be one of the
most informative resources on the internet with respect to Coast Guard
vessel documentation. Our Federal Page is a good starting point
for those who wish to learn more about the documentation process. Although
most of our pages contain references to Coast Guard documentation, our Federal Page,
Forms Page, and Database Page cover most aspects of documented vessel research and
the vessel documentation process. You may also wish to visit
the National Vessel Documentation Center's home page where you will find
additional forms and basic information about Coast Guard vessel documentation.
Welcome to the
internet's most comprehensive Coast Guard vessel documentation, boat
titling, and yacht registration web site. Our pages are loaded with
valuable details pertaining to every aspect of documenting, titling,
registering, transferring, and financing a vessel. Here you will find a
wide array of articles, guidelines, instructions, links, and other tools
for implementing any type of vessel transaction or recording. We have it
all covered on both the state and federal levels for everything from mega-yachts to ski-boats.
It is our mission to
address the titling needs of each and every segment of the entire
boating community. We have accordingly designed this publication to suit
the interests of vessel owners, buyers, sellers, yacht brokers,
boat dealers, marine lenders, and attorneys. In doing so, we have
created special entry points or gateways for each particular type of
client. These unique landing pages are designed to enhance your browsing
experience in accessing the most expansive vessel documentation and boat
registration web site you will ever find on the internet.
Just follow our clients link at the top of this page to discover the
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gateways, you will find a row of links across the top of each and every
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its numerous features. Before embarking on your journey, it would be
worthwhile to click through these links and just get a sense about the
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