USCG VESSEL RENEWAL (CG-1280) - MARITIME DOCUMENTATION

[Mauler34Rod]

FYI...for those of you who have your vessels documented with the USCG, they have adopted a new technology for the annual renewal process. The good is it appears it will not take several months to receive your papers after applying....we shall see. See below taken from their website; https://maritimedocumentation.us/renewal/

APPLICATION FOR USCG VESSEL RENEWAL (CG-1280) - MARITIME DOCUMENTATION

• PLEASE NOTE:
  IF YOUR USCG (CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION) IS PAST 30 DAYS BEYOND ITS EXPIRATION, IF, AND ONLY IF, YOUR USCG (CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION) HAS PASSED 30 DAYS OF EXPIRATION, YOU MUST REINSTATE YOUR DOCUMENTATION. PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO "REINSTATE" YOUR (CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION). IF YOUR CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION HAS NOT PASSED 30 DAYS FROM THE EXPIRATION DATE, YOU MAY CONTINUE WITH YOUR RENEWAL APPLICATION. TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION IS PROCESSED IN A TIMELY MANNER WE ADVISE THAT YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION 3 DAYS PRIOR TO ITS EXPIRATION DATE. THIS APPLICATION IS FOR U.S. COAST GUARD DOCUMENTED VESSELS ONLY.
  
  IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE CERTIFICATION BECAUSE ONE OR MORE OF THE ITEMS LISTED ON THE CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION HAS CHANGED, PLEASE CONTACT US AT INFO@MARITIMEDOCUMENTATION.US. IF YOU FAIL TO REPORT ANY CHANGES OR RETURN THIS CERTIFICATION BY THE EXPIRATION DATE LISTED, PENALTIES AND/OR REMOVAL OF THE VESSEL FROM DOCUMENTATION MAY RESULT. OPERATION OF A VESSEL WITH AN INACCURATE OR INVALID CERTIFICATE OF DOCUMENTATION MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL PENALTIES. SUBMISSIONS THAT ARE LATE MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE USCG WITHIN 30 DAYS OF EXPIRATION.
  

The best part is you can pay your yearly renewal documentation in advance. Your certificate of documentation will be automatically renewed each year, for the number of years selected, by Maritime Documentation Center, a private documentation firm.
Looks like a calendar reminder is in order for me.

 

[mikef624]

That isn't the Coast Guard site for Vessel Documentation. It's a service that charges you extra to do it for you.. Here is the real site. I got my renewal in days. http://www.uscg.mil/nvdc/

 

[Shaps]

You can also do a multi year documentation with the Coast Guard via the NVDC.
There's a thread on it somewhere.

 

[firecadet613]

@Mauler34Rod you've been had! Paying $75 a year to use their service and have them send it to the NVDC vs paying the NVDC direct for only $26 a year...

 

[RBB]

You can also do a multi year documentation with the Coast Guard via the NVDC.
There's a thread on it somewhere.

this is how i do it. buts it has not been quick in the last 2 years. however that does not bother me.

 

[Ike]

There are similar threads on several other boating forums. It's not a scam (not in the legal sense), but it is deceptive because of the URL and the site looks official, but if you look carefully you will see that the seal shown is not the Coast Guard seal, the boat is not a Coast Guard boat, and way down at the bottom in small type it says
"© 2021 Maritime Documentation Center. All Rights Reserved. Maritime Documentation Center is NOT the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Vessel Documentation Center; we are a third party private agency that handles USCG Documentation processing to NVDC"
Plus they have paid google to have their url come up first if you search on vessel documentation. The authentic Coast Guard site is second.

All US Coast Guard sites end in .mil or .gov, with one exception https://www.uscgboating.org/ Which is their Boating Safety web site that was created before the .mil and .gov were created. the National Vessel Documentation Center is https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organi...s-DCO-D/National-Vessel-Documentation-Center/

 

[Shaps]

this is how i do it. buts it has not been quick in the last 2 years. however that does not bother me.

https://www.boatus.com/news-room/release/us-coast-guard-changes-certificate-of-documen

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO Documents/NVDC/COD RENEWAL.pdf

 

[bracketracer]

this is how i do it. buts it has not been quick in the last 2 years. however that does not bother me.

Odd. Did mine through the official site, and had my doc in about 5 days.

 

[Mauler34Rod]

@Mauler34Rod you've been had! Paying $75 a year to use their service and have them send it to the NVDC vs paying the NVDC direct for only $26 a year...

Thanks for the clarification @firecadet613. I haven’t “been had” as you so valiantly express because I don’t need to renew until February. Many members in the last year have posted that dealing directly with the NVDC took forever to get credentials back from USCG. There exists many third party companies out there that charge way more than the $75 than the Maritime Documentation Center does. I do apologize for the mis-information but in these times I have found that many government agencies have sub-contracted out certain services, so I made a incorrect assumption MDC was just that. As @Ike stated not a scam but indeed deceptive. I do know this, the renewal process is way easier than transferring papers after a sale. Good day gentlemen.

 

[RBB]

Odd. Did mine through the official site, and had my doc in about 5 days.

mine was where I had bought the boat and not a renewal.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

I'm just trying to decide whether to look into changing documentation from the PO into my name or just let it expire. I don't see where I need to and to be honest, I don't really see the need.
Willing to listen to the why's and how's...

 

[Woody]

I'm just trying to decide whether to look into changing documentation from the PO into my name or just let it expire. I don't see where I need to and to be honest, I don't really see the need.
Willing to listen to the why's and how's...

Do you mean your boat is USCG documented in someone else's name?

 

[firecadet613]

I'm just trying to decide whether to look into changing documentation from the PO into my name or just let it expire. I don't see where I need to and to be honest, I don't really see the need.
Willing to listen to the why's and how's...

In my state, documentation took the place of the state title, although it still had to be registered with the state (they gotta get their tax $$$). When I sold that boat, we transferred the documentation to him.

Thanks for the clarification @firecadet613. I haven’t “been had” as you so valiantly express because I don’t need to renew until February. Many members in the last year have posted that dealing directly with the NVDC took forever to get credentials back from USCG. There exists many third party companies out there that charge way more than the $75 than the Maritime Documentation Center does. I do apologize for the mis-information but in these times I have found that many government agencies have sub-contracted out certain services, so I made a incorrect assumption MDC was just that. As @Ike stated not a scam but indeed deceptive. I do know this, the renewal process is way easier than transferring papers after a sale. Good day gentlemen.

I dealt direct with them the 5 years I had a documented vessel. If it's due in February and they are backed up - why not just renew now?

 

[Mauler34Rod]

In my state, documentation took the place of the state title, although it still had to be registered with the state (they gotta get their tax $$$). When I sold that boat, we transferred the documentation to him.



I dealt direct with them the 5 years I had a documented vessel. If it's due in February and they are backed up - why not just renew now?

That is a great idea especially if you only want to renew for 1-4 years because as they state on their table of fees “Beginning January 1, 2022 Recreational CODS will be issued for a validity period of 5 years.” And this also taken from their renewal form;
“CODs renewed more than 60 days prior to expiration will be issued with a new issue/expiration date, shortening validity period of document. CODs renewed 60 days or less from expiration will maintain the same expiration month.”
Lots of fine print. Typical of many government forms…..LOL.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Do you mean your boat is USCG documented in someone else's name?

Yes, it was documented. I transferred title and I have that back. So I have title and Michigan registration #'s in my name. I've just done nothing about the documentation.

 

[Woody]

Yes, it was documented. I transferred title and I have that back. So I have title and Michigan registration #'s in my name. I've just done nothing about the documentation.

Terminology is important...going by what you have just said, I can tell you the situation you have is illegal. You can not have a state titled boat and a USCG documented boat at the same time. State registered and document, yes...but not titled...it is against Federal Law.

 

[PlayDate]

Terminology is important...going by what you have just said, I can tell you the situation you have is illegal. You can not have a state titled boat and a USCG documented boat at the same time. State registered and document, yes...but not titled...it is against Federal Law.

Yes. But it is interesting to note that there is no process I am aware of to rescind a State Title issued for a boat that was later USCG documented by the same owner.

 

[Woody]

Yes. But it is interesting to note that there is no process I am aware of to rescind a State Title issued for a boat that was later USCG documented by the same owner.

I've never thought about that. This is what I found in the Federal Recreational Boaters Handbook. If a state titled boat is issued a 'Certificate of Number', is that state title invalidated by the USCG vessel Documentation then creating the surrender to the issuing authority? Not sure if I'm reading that right.

There are two methods of registration for U .S . recreational vessels .
• Vessel Registration: state-issued Certificate of Number .
• Vessel Documentation: federally documented with the
U .S . Coast Guard

Notification of Changes to a Numbered Vessel
The owner of a vessel must notify the agency that issued the Certificate
of Number within 15 days if:
• The vessel is transferred, destroyed, abandoned, lost, stolen,
or recovered .
• The Certificate of Number is lost, destroyed, or the owner’s
address changes .
If the Certificate of Number becomes invalid for any reason, it must be
surrendered to the issuing authority within 15 days .

 

[PlayDate]

I've never thought about that. This is what I found in the Federal Recreational Boaters Handbook. If a state titled boat is issued a 'Certificate of Number', is that state title invalidated by the USCG vessel Documentation then creating the surrender to the issuing authority? Not sure if I'm reading that right.

There are two methods of registration for U .S . recreational vessels .
• Vessel Registration: state-issued Certificate of Number .
• Vessel Documentation: federally documented with the
U .S . Coast Guard

Notification of Changes to a Numbered Vessel
The owner of a vessel must notify the agency that issued the Certificate
of Number within 15 days if:
• The vessel is transferred, destroyed, abandoned, lost, stolen,
or recovered .
• The Certificate of Number is lost, destroyed, or the owner’s
address changes .
If the Certificate of Number becomes invalid for any reason, it must be
surrendered to the issuing authority within 15 days .

I went thru this in 2002 when I bought my boat in NJ and it had a NJ Title with the previous owner. To avoid NJ Sales Tax I had to Title it in Virginia which is where my residency is and sign a NJ tax document expressly stating that. Documenting the boat at that stage would have triggered NJ Sales tax.

So I Titled the boat in Virginia and paid the Virginia Sales tax.

As fate would have it I ended up at a DC marina which exempted it from Virginia registration fees and property taxes.

However, DC has its own rules and the only path (back then) to keeping the boat in DC was to USCG document the boat and “abandon” the Virginia title which is what effectively has happened.

If I was to sell it tomorrow it would be sold as a Documented vessel.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

So, I've never dealt with a USCG documented boat and the PO had documented using BoatUS only to avoid having to put the registration #'s on the hull. Monday, I'm going to see if I can talk to someone at USCG and try and find out what I need to do. I have no problems sticking "MC #'s" on the hull. I'm not that vain.... I'm hoping I can just let the documentation expire with non-renewal