How to Ensure Your USCG Vessel Documentation Status is Always in Compliance

A boat on the water is seldom entirely still. Sure, if you anchor, you won’t drift too far away. But, depending on the length of the line, your boat will still move with the waves and the wind. The same is true with your USCG vessel documentation. As time keeps moving, so too might your documentation. At every stage of vessel ownership, it’s important to make sure that you’re in compliance with the authorities. That way, you’ll always be able to operate your vessel exactly how you want. 

Did You Just Get Your Vessel? 

Was your vessel recently completed? One of the first things you want to do is to make sure that your vessel has its initial documentation. If this is the first time that your vessel has been documented, you can use the “Initial” tag at our site. There, you can fill out just the parts marked, press a couple more buttons, and your documentation will be on its way. Through this, you can take your vessel out on the water with peace of mind. 

Has It Been a Year (or Almost a Year) Since You Documented your USCG Vessel? 

Vessel documentation is important. But, it doesn’t last forever. You can’t just go through the initial documentation process and assume that your documentation is going to be valid forever. Instead, you have to renew it every year. You can do that at our site, through the “Renewal” tag. As this is the most common use for our site, we’ve made it as accessible as possible – our literal homepage. 

uscg vessel documentation

Are You Tired of Having to Renew Your Documentation Annually? 

While annual renewal is necessary, if you’re going through the Maritime Documentation Center, you don’t have to renew every year. We’ll do it for you. We can actually renew your documentation for up to five years at a time. Imagine not having to worry about dealing with your documentation for the next half decade? There are precious few tasks associated with boating that can be dealt with for the next five years with the press of a button. 

Has Your Documentation Expired? 

If the deadline for renewal has passed, then, unfortunately, you can’t renew your documentation. Instead, you have to reinstate it. You can do that through our site, too. Simply click on “Reinstatement” and go through the entire process from there. We see it as one more way that we can help vessel owners to get back out on the water faster. 

Did You Move or Go Through Similar Life Changes? 

Boats on the water never really stop moving and neither does life. So, if you move, then you probably want to fill out the “Change of Address” form. By that same token, if you’ve decided to change the name of your vessel (or where you’re hailing from) then we’ve got the forms for that as well. When it comes to documentation, we’ve got you covered. For more: (800) 535-8570.