§12105 Issuance of Documentation

Summary

When someone applies and the vessel meets the rules in section 12103, the Secretary must give a certificate of documentation or a temporary certificate, unless section 12152 says otherwise. The certificate will include any endorsements from subchapter II that the owner asks for and the vessel is eligible to have. For recreational vessels, the Secretary can let approved private groups issue temporary certificates under the Secretary’s rules. A temporary certificate from those groups can last no more than 30 days. A full certificate must identify and describe the vessel, name the owner, and include other information the Secretary requires. The Secretary must set up rules to keep the certificates accurate. Certificates normally last 1 year and can be renewed for more 1-year periods. For recreational vessels, the owner can pick a certificate term of 1 to 5 years. The fee to get a recreational certificate equals the fee in section 2110, and the renewal fee equals the number of chosen years times the renewal fee in section 2110. Fees go back to the account that paid the costs and may stay available until spent. The owner must tell the Coast Guard of any change in the certificate information within 30 days; if not, the certificate ends after that 30-day period. State and local authorities can still remove abandoned or derelict vessels.