Docmentation versus regisration

on January 10, 2009 at 8:24 AM, updated January 10, 2009 at 8:31 AM

Here's an interesting article by Don Baker written for the Raritan Bay Power Squadron.

P/C Don Baker, JN

Commercial vessels of 5 or more net tons operating in US waters must be documented by the Coast Guard. With respect to recreational vessels it is an option. What's the difference between registration by a state and documentation, and what if any are the advantages of documentation?


States administer their own registration or numbering systems, but in Alaska it is performed by the Coast Guard. When I bought my first boat (a 27 footer) some thirty or so years ago,

I had to search the records of the nearby states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania to determine if the boat I was buying was encumbered in any way -- bank loans, etc. Fortunately my company's legal department was available to me to accomplish this task.

Since the boat I was buying was undocumented, all I had was the seller's word that he owned the boat. In those days boats were not titled, so proof of ownership was difficult.


Years ago, New Jersey (and most other states) passed a more meaningful registration law. Boats were now to be titled. The problem was that requirements for proof of ownership to obtain a title for a boat were quite fuzzy. First the people at the Motor Vehicle Bureau didn't understand what was required, and, thus, procedures to prove ownership were extremely lax.


Ah! but what if the title I obtained at that time was not legitimate? If you bought my boat relying on this title, you really didn't know if I actually owned the boat and if it was unencumbered.


This is why lenders insist on larger vessels being documented. Documentation begins with a "Carpenters Certificate" when a new boat is first transferred to a dealer. This certificate describes the boat and indicates the HIN (Hull Identification Number).




They relented, and a trip to the Coast Guard Documentation Division, which at that time was at the Battery in Manhattan, with the necessary papers, including the "Carpenter Certificate," accomplished my goal. I think the fee at that time was $35, and is now $133. Doing it yourself will save hundreds of dollars.






If you want to document your boat or learn more about it, contact the Coast Guard Documentation Cffice through the link on our squadron web site. The Documentation Center is now in Falling River, West Virginia. Go to