The US Coast Guard requires all Federally Documented vessels to be named with a designated hailing port. The name and hailing port selected by the Owner(s) will be officially marked on the ship’s papers (CG-1270 Certificate of Documentation) and must match the name and hailing port marked on the vessel. You may change name and hailing port of Documented vessels after filing the appropriate paperwork. The requirements are outlined below:
Selecting a Vessel Name
The Vessel Name must not exceed 33 characters; it (1) Must be composed of letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals; (2) May not be identical, actually or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea (e.g. Police Boat, Coast Guard, Mayday, Help, Rescue Me, On Fire, Sinking, I’ve Sunk, We’ve Capsized, Man Overboard); and (3) May not contain nor be phonetically identical to obscene, indecent, or profane language, or to racial or ethnic epithets. (46 CFR § 67.117)
Hailing Port
The hailing port of a boat is a designated location or place from which the vessel claims origin. This can be anywhere the vessel owner chooses, regardless if it is a coastal or landlocked location.
Selecting a Vessel Hailing Port (46 CFR § 67.119)
The hailing port must be a place in the United States included in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 55DC. The hailing port must include the State, territory, or possession in which it is located. The Hailing Port marked on a vessel does not have to be the physical location of the vessel, or where the vessel is registered; the owner may elect any hailing port they choose, granted it is an actual location in the United States.
If your vessel is not currently Documented by the US Coast Guard, you may apply with your vessel name and hailing port via the online webform below:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/certificate-of-documentation/
If your vessel is currently Documented by the US Coast Guard and you wish to change the name or hailing port of your vessel, you may file the change via the online webform below:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/vessel-name-hailing-port-change/
NOTE: If your vessel is subject to a mortage of record or lien, you MUST obtain written permission from the mortagee (bank or financial institution) in order to complete your vessel name or hailing port change.
Marking the Name and Hailing Port on your vessel (46 CFR § 67.123)
The markings may be made by the use of any means and materials which result in durable markings, must be made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals not less than four inches in height.
The name and hailing port of the vessel must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the stern of the vessel.
