F.A.Q.

No. Only Vessels With a “Recreational Endorsement” Are 
Exclusively vessels with a "Recreational" endorsement are eligible for multi-year documentation renewal. 

This allows vessel owners of recreational vessels to renew for up to five years at once. Commercial vessels, on the other hand, are required to renew their documentation annually.

Click here for documented vessel renewal.

Click here to obtain your vessel documentation.
Documented Vessel Renewal and More with the National Documentation Portal
Whether you need to renew your documentation, apply for initial paperwork, replace lost documentation, obtain an Abstract of Title to learn about a vessel, conduct a documentation search, or manage other documentation tasks, the National Documentation Portal is here to simplify the process.

For further details, refer to the regulations below, which may provide additional clarity regarding your situation: 

Subpart L—Validity of Certificates of Documentation; Renewal of Endorsement; Requirement for Exchange, Replacement, Deletion, Cancellation

67.161 Validity of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a Certificate of Documentation but no trade endorsement thereon, issued to a vessel which is the subject of an outstanding mortgage filed or recorded in accordance with subpart Q of this part or any predecessor regulations, remains valid for purposes of:

(1) 46 U.S.C. chapter 125;

(2) 46 U.S.C. chapter 313 for an instrument filed or recorded before the date of invalidation, and an assignment or a notice of claim of lien filed after that date;

(3) 46 U.S.C. 56101, 56102 and 57109; and

(4) 46 U.S.C. 56301.

(b) The provisions of paragraph (a) of this section do not apply to a vessel which is subject only to a mortgage filed or recorded before January 1, 1989, which had not attained preferred status as of that date.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.163 Renewal of endorsement.

(a) Requirement for renewal of endorsement. Endorsements on Certificates of Documentation are valid for 1 year, except for Recreational Endorsements on Certificates of Documentation, which are valid for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years. However, a Certificate of Documentation with a Recreational Endorsement and a Commercial Endorsement will only be valid for 1 year. Prior to the expiration of an endorsement, the owner of a vessel, which is not exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9, must apply for renewal of the endorsement(s) by complying with paragraph (b) of this section. The owner of a vessel exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9 must either:

(1) Apply for renewal of the endorsement by complying with paragraph (b) of this section; or

(2) Place the Certificate of Documentation on deposit in accordance with § 67.165.

(b) Renewal application. The owner of a vessel must apply for renewal of each endorsement by executing a Vessel Renewal Notification, Application for Renewal (CG-1280) certifying that the information contained in the Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remains accurate, and that the Certificate has not been lost, mutilated, or wrongfully withheld. The completed CG-1280 must be sent to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center.

(c) Requirement for renewal of recreational endorsements. A Certificate of Documentation for a recreational vessel and the renewal of such a certificate will be effective for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years for such a Certificate of Documentation for such vessel or the renewal thereof.

Note:

Renewal of endorsements on a Certificate of Documentation may be denied if the vessel owner is the subject of an outstanding civil penalty assessed by the Coast Guard.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017; USCG-2020-0215, 86 FR 5031, Jan. 19, 2021; USCG-2023-0305, 88 FR 77901, Nov. 14, 2023]

67.165 Deposit of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) Option for deposit in lieu of renewal of endorsement. In lieu of renewing the endorsement(s) in accordance with § 67.163, the owner of a vessel which is exempt from the requirement for documentation under paragraph (c) of § 67.9 may deposit the vessel's outstanding Certificate of Documentation with the National Vessel Documentation Center.

(b) Reporting requirement. The owner of a vessel whose Certificate is on deposit in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section must make a written report to the National Vessel Documentation Center when:

(1) Exchange of the Certificate is required upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in § 67.167 (b), (c), or (d); or

(2) The vessel is subject to deletion from the roll of actively documented vessels upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in § 67.171(a)(1) through (8).

(c) Validity of document on deposit. A Certificate of Documentation placed on deposit in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section is valid for the purposes of:

(1) 46 U.S.C. chapter 125;

(2) 46 U.S.C. chapter 313;

(3) 46 U.S.C. 56101, 56102 and 57109; and

(4) 46 U.S.C. 56301.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.167 Requirement for exchange of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) When application for exchange of the Certificate of Documentation is required upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section, or the owner of the vessel chooses to apply for exchange of the Certificate pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, the owner must send or deliver the Certificate to the National Vessel Documentation Center, and apply for an exchange of the Certificate in accordance with subpart K of this part.

(b) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in § 67.161, when:

(1) The ownership of the vessel changes in whole or in part;

(2) The general partners of a partnership change by addition, deletion, or substitution;

(3) The State of incorporation of any corporate owner of the vessel changes;

(4) The name of the vessel changes;

(5) The hailing port of the vessel changes; or

(6) The vessel is placed under the command of a person who is not a citizen of the United States.

(c) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in § 67.161 and in paragraph (f) of this section, if the vessel is not at sea, or upon the vessel's next arrival in port anywhere in the world if the vessel is at sea, when:

(1) The gross or net tonnages or dimensions of the vessel change;

(2) Any beneficiary with an enforceable interest in a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition or substitution;

(3) The trustee of a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition, substitution, or deletion;

(4) A tenant by the entirety owning any part of the vessel dies;

(5) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by addition or substitution;

(6) The legal name of any owner of the vessel changes;

(7) A self-propelled vessel becomes non-self-propelled or a non-self-propelled vessel becomes self-propelled;

(8) The endorsements for the vessel change by addition, deletion, or substitution;

(9) A substantive or clerical error made by the issuing documentation officer is discovered; and

(10) For a vessel with a coastwise endorsement under 46 U.S.C. 12119, one of the events in § 68.80 or § 68.111 of this chapter occurs.

(d) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remain valid, the owner of a documented vessel must apply for exchange of the Certificate upon an election to designate a new managing owner of the vessel in accordance with § 67.113.

(e) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remain valid, the owner may apply for exchange of the Certificate if:

(1) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by deletion; or

(2) The vessel attains a special entitlement under subpart J of this part.

(f) A Certificate of Documentation which becomes invalid pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section remains valid for the purposes of filing a new mortgage or amendment, assignment, assumption, or subordination agreement for 30 days after the date it would otherwise have become invalid.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-2001-8825, 69 FR 5401, Feb. 4, 2004; USCG-2005-20258, 71 FR 61418, Oct. 18, 2006; USCG-2016-0531, 82 FR 43864, Sept. 20, 2017]

67.169 Requirement for replacement of Certificate of Documentation.

(a) The owner of a documented vessel must make application in accordance with subpart K of this part for replacement of a Certificate of Documentation which is:

(1) Lost;

(2) Mutilated; or

(3) Wrongfully withheld from the vessel owner.

(b) When application for replacement of a Certificate of Documentation is required because the Certificate has been mutilated, the existing Certificate must be physically given up to the National Vessel Documentation Center.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31605, June 15, 1995]

67.171 Deletion; requirement and procedure.

(a) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon is invalid, except as provided in § 67.161, and the vessel is subject to deletion from the roll of actively documented vessels when:

(1) The vessel is placed under foreign flag;

(2) The vessel is sold or transferred in whole or in part to a person who is not a citizen of the United States within the meaning of subpart C of this part;

(3) Any owner of the vessel ceases to be a citizen of the United States within the meaning of subpart C of this part;

(4) The owner no longer elects to document the vessel;

(5) The vessel no longer measures at least five net tons;

(6) The vessel ceases to be capable of transportation by water;

(7) The owner fails to exchange the Certificate as required by § 67.167;

(8) The owner fails to maintain the markings required by subpart I of this part;

(9) The endorsements on the Certificate are revoked because the vessel owner is the subject of an outstanding civil penalty assessed by the Coast Guard; or

(10) The owner fails to:

(i) Renew the endorsement(s) as required by § 67.163; or

(ii) Comply with the provisions of § 67.165.

(b) Where a cause for deletion arises for any reason under paragraphs (a) (1) through (6) of this section, the owner must send or deliver the original Certificate of Documentation to the National Vessel Documentation Center together with a statement setting forth the reason(s) deletion is required.

(c) When a Certificate of Documentation is required to be deleted because the vessel has been placed under foreign flag or has been sold or transferred in whole or in part to a non-citizen of the United States, the owner of that vessel must comply with the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section, and file:

(1) Evidence of the sale or transfer, if any; and

(2) Evidence that the Maritime Administration has consented to the sale or transfer, except for vessels identified in § 67.11(b) and vessels for which the Maritime Administration has granted approval for unrestricted sale or transfer pursuant to regulations set forth in 46 CFR part 221.

(d) A certificate evidencing deletion from U.S. documentation will be issued upon request of the vessel owner to the National Vessel Documentation Center upon compliance with the applicable requirements of this subpart.

[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by CGD 94-008, 59 FR 49847, Sept. 30, 1994; CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31605, June 15, 1995]

You may change the name and/or hailing port by navigating to the following page and completing the online form: Change of Vessel Name/Haling Port

Many vessels have more than one owner. To make sure that the right person gets mail concerning the vessel, one must be designated as the managing owner.

For example, the USCG will send notifications reminding the managing owner that the vessel's documentation is soon to expire.

A preferred mortgage is a mortgage which is given status as a maritime lien. As such it enjoys a certain priority in the event of default. In addition, the Coast Guard is prohibited from making certain changes in documentation including, but not limited to, change of vessel ownership, name, and hailing port without consent of the mortgagee. For this reason many financial institutions require vessels which are eligible for documentation to be documented and to have preferred mortgages recorded against them.

All forms are conveniently available to complete online through this secure website. After completing a form, the form will automatically be forwarded to a Documentation Processor for review. On average, most people that attempt to submit their own documents yield deficiencies which cause their documentation process to be delayed by week or even months, and are subject to resubmitting their fees. The online portal provided on this websites helps speed up the documentation process and eliminate deficiencies. Call 1-800-343-0530 if you would like for a documentation processors to walk you through your application process. You may email info@nvdcrenewal.us for additional information or inquiries.

No, your initial vessel documentation application (or any other) may be submitted and paid for by filling out your desired application through the convenient online portal. The online portal is far more advantageous as it is not subject to delays caused by submitting your application(s) in by mail.

You may obtain an Abstract of Title which will show all bills of sale, mortgages, and notices of claim of lien filed and recorded by the Coast Guard. You may request an Abstract by navigating to the following page: Abstract of Title

No, all documented vessels must comply with the laws of the state in which they are operated. The vessel’s document must be shown to state law enforcement personnel upon their demand. States may require documented vessels to be registered (but not numbered) and to display state decals showing that they have complied with state requirements.

Documentation of your vessel does not cover the vessel’s tender or dinghy. These craft fall within the jurisdiction of the motorboat numbering laws of the state of principal use. Please contact your state agency that handles the registration or numbering of motorboats for further information

The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded by the abbreviation “NO.” must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area.

The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The hailing port must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated.

Documented vessels do not display their official numbers on the outside of the hull, but are identified by the name and hailing port. The application for documentation must include a name for the vessel composed of letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals and may not exceed 33 characters. The name may not be identical, actually or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea; may not contain or be phonetically identical to obscene, indecent, or profane language, or to racial or ethnic epithets. Once established, a vessel’s name may not be changed without application, fees, and the consent of the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center. There is no rule against duplication of names for documented vessels, so hailing ports are helpful in identifying vessels.

Evidence that a vessel was built in the U.S. is required for a vessel which is to be used in the fisheries or coastwise trade. Build evidence is normally established by submitting a Builder’s Certification. That form must be completed by the person who constructed or oversaw the construction of the vessel or an official of the company that built the vessel who has examined the records of the company to determine the facts of build. The Original Builder’s Certification or Facts of Build Letter must be presented with your submission. A copy will NOT be accepted.

A vessel that measures at least five net tons and, with the exception of certain oil spill response vessels, that is wholly owned by a citizen of the U.S.

Vessel owners can use this link to apply for initial vessel documentation.

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. In addition, towboats operating between points in the U.S. or the EEZ or between the EEZ and points in the U.S. and dredges operating in the U.S. or the EEZ must be documented.

You do have the option of measuring your vessel's net tonnage. However, most vessel owners simply measure the vessel's length. If a vessel is at least 25 feet long, then it almost invariably measures five net tons.

If your vessel measures at least five net tons and is owned by an American citizen, you can document it. Vessel owners can apply here for American vessel documentation.

Vessels that measure less than five net tons or are not owned by American citizens are exempt from documentation.

Additionally, even if they do measure five net tons or more and are owned by American citizens, vessels that do not operate on the navigable waters of the U.S. or in the fisheries in the EEZ, are exempt from the requirement to be documented.

Yes. A Certificate of Documentation may be endorsed for fishery, coastwise, registry, or recreation. Any documented vessel may be used for recreational purposes, regardless of its endorsement, but a vessel documented with a recreational endorsement only may not be used for any other purpose. Registry endorsements are generally used for foreign trade.

The basic requirements for documentation are to demonstrate ownership of the vessel, U.S. citizenship, and eligibility for the endorsement sought.

To be eligible for documentation, a vessel must measure at least five net tons in volume, be owned by an American citizen, and be eligible for the endorsement sought.

That is only for a vessel to be eligible for documentation. Not all vessels that meet the above criteria must be documented.

If the vessel is new and has never been documented, ownership may be established by submission of a Builder’s Certification, naming the applicant for documentation as the person for whom the vessel was built or to whom the vessel was first transferred. Also acceptable are a transfer on a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, a copy of the State Registration or Title, or foreign registration showing that the applicant owns the vessel.

In the case of a previously owned vessel, the applicant must present bills of sale, or other evidence showing transfer of the vessel from the person who last documented, titled, or registered the vessel, or to whom the vessel was transferred on a Builder’s Certification or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin.

Citizenship is established by verifying the applicant’s social security. In addition to individuals, corporations, partnerships, and other entities capable of holding legal title may be deemed citizens for documentation purposes. Corporations must be registered in a state or the U.S; the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors must be U.S. citizens, and no more than a minority of the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum may be non-citizens. In addition, at least 75% of the stock must be vested in U.S. citizens for a coastwise or fisheries endorsement.