FAQ

Vessel documentation is a national form of registration. It is one of the oldest government functions, dating back to the 11th Act of the First Congress. Documentation provides conclusive evidence of nationality for international purposes of the vessel. Moreover, it provides for unhindered commerce between the states and admits vessels to certain restricted trades, such as coastwise trade and fisheries. Since 1920, vessel financing has been enhanced through the availability of preferred mortgages on documented vessels.

The federal government uses this document to register ships of five net tons or more for use in times of war. Documenting your ship gives you: 

• Firm evidence of nationality for international travel.
• The right to engage in open trade between the states. 
• Access to a preferred mortgage for financing the vessel.

Vessels of five net tons or more used in fishing activities on navigable waters of the U.S. or in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or used in coastwise trade must be documented unless the vessel is exempt from documentation. Coastwise trade is generally defined as the transportation of merchandise or passengers between points in the U.S. or the EEZ.

For documenting your vessel, it must measure at least five net tons and, except for certain oil spill response vessels, must be wholly owned by a citizen of the U.S.

Documentation can also make it easier to travel up and down the coast of the US. Most states allow boats registered in other states to “visit” their waters for some time without obtaining registration. However, if you plan to take your boat to another state for more than a couple of months, the state you’re visiting may want you to register there; unless you stay long enough to be considered a resident, documented vessels may avoid this fineable situation. Be sure to check the state where you plan on keeping the vessel.

Each state has its own laws about how long a customer may “use” their waters, and you will need to check with the STATE you are mooring the vessel to make sure if you need to register your vessel in that state.

Once documented, your boat or yacht stays documented for its life. This means that if you sell it, the new owner needs to update the documentation information (along with a fee, of course), and the vessel’s documentation ID number, which needs to be affixed to the interior, stays the same. The coast guard requires an annual documentation update form, which is automatically sent out to you 45 days before the annual expiration.

The documentation number will stay with that number for life, but customers can DELETE from the USCG and “STATE TITLE” if they wish to. So while the number stays for the vessel’s life, new owners don’t need to document the vessel.

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