Foreign citizens may only purchase a US Coast Guard Documented vessel if the vessel is removed/deleted from Documentation via CG-4593. Vessels owned by non-US citizens may be registered and titled in their respective states.
If you would like to file an online application for the Deletion of Documentation, you may proceed to the link below:
https://forms.unitedstatesvessel.us/deletion-from-uscg-documentation
US Coast Guard Documentation is a national form of registration, and it affords conclusive evidence of the boat’s nationality for international purposes. Documented vessels essentially carry the United States Flag. A noncitizenās vessel can be titled/Āregistered in most states, but the vessel will not have unrestricted freedom of movement. United States Customs treats vessels based on their nationality.
A state Āregistered/titled vessel does not have a āflagā or nationality, so if a vessel is not foreign flagged or documented with the Coast Guard (U.S. flagged), then it assumes the nationality of its beneficial owner. Hence, a noncitizenās boat, if titled and registered in a state, is considered to be a foreign vessel by Customs and Border Patrol, and is thus treated as such.
In this case, a vessel must obtain a āPermit to Proceedā from U.S. Customs in order to travel from port to port. Failure to follow these regulations can result in fines or even seizure of the vessel itself.
As such, foreign citizens typically choose to register their boats in other jurisdictions (other countries) to avoid customs formalities by obtaining a U.S. cruising License
Reference: Code of Federal Regulations CFR Title 46 Part 67
Ā§ā67.171 Deletion; requirement and procedure.
(a) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon is invalid, except as provided in Ā§ā67.161, 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;
(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
