In order to get a boat Documented by the US Coast Guard, you must first determine whether the vessel fulfills the tonnage requirements and whether the owner(s) fulfill the citizenship requirements. For recreational vessels, the requirements are fairly simple and straightforward, although for commercial vessels, the requirements are more stringent.
THE REQUIREMENTS – RECREATIONAL VESSELS
Tonnage requirements: The US Coast Guard requires vessels to be at least 5 net tons (volume, not weight) in order to meet the requirement.
Citizenship requirements: All individual owners of a vessel seeking Documentation by the Coast Guard must be United States Citizens. For Partnerships, at least 50 percent of the equity interest in the partnership is owned by citizens. For Trusts, a trust arrangement meets citizenship requirements if: (1) Each of its trustees is a citizen; and (2) Each beneficiary with an enforceable interest in the trust is a citizen. For corporations: a corporation meets citizenship requirements if: (1) It is incorporated under the laws of the United States or of a State; (2) Its chief executive officer, by whatever title, is a citizen; (3) Its chairman of the board of directors is a citizen; and (4) No more of its directors are non-citizens than a minority of the number necessary to constitute a quorum.
THE PROCESS – RECREATIONAL VESSELS
Use the Initial Documentation Webform to obtain a Certificate of Documentation for new vessels and vessels which have never been Documented:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/initial-documentation/
If you have recently purchased a vessel and it already has an Official Documentation Number, please utilize the form for Transfer/Exchange of Documentation via the link below and be sure to upload the appropriate Bill of Sale and/or State Title:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/transfer-exchange/
If the vessel has never been Documented by the U.S. Coast Guard, ownership may be established for used vessels by submission of a copy of the State Registration or Title. For new vessels, please include the Builder’s Certification (Form CG-1261), 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, or foreign registration showing that the applicant owns the vessel.
For initial applications of vessels that have never been Documented, you will need to submit supporting documents for calculated tonnage if you do not have the CG-1261 Builder’s Certification:
CG-5397 Application for Simplified Measurement: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/CG-5397.pdf
Once you have completed the application and have paid the appropriate fees, you will receive a Certificate of Documentation (CG-1270) that will remain on the vessel at all times. There are no titles for US Coast Guard Documented vessels. The Certificate of Documentation must be renewed according to the expiration date listed on the lower left portion of the document. You may choose how many years you will add to your expiration date when you complete the application.
