(a) The first three characters must be a manufacturer identification code assigned under § 181.31(a) or the importer designation assigned under § 181.31(b).

(b) Characters four through eight must be a serial number assigned by the manufacturer in letters of the English alphabet, or Arabic numerals, or both, except the letters I, O, and Q.

(c) Characters nine and ten must indicate the month and year of certification when a date of certification is required. In all other cases characters nine and ten must indicate the date of manufacture. The date indicated can be no earlier than the date construction or assembly began and no later than the date the boat leaves the place of manufacture or assembly or is imported into the United States for the purposes of sale. Character nine must be indicated using letters of the English alphabet. The first month of the year, January, must be designated by the letter “A”, the second month, February, by the letter “B”, and so on until the last month of the year, December. Character ten must be the last digit of the year of manufacture or certification and must be an Arabic numeral.

(d) Characters eleven and twelve must indicate the model year using Arabic numerals for the last two numbers of the model year such as “82” for 1982 and “83” for 1983.

The name of a Managing Owner of a Documented Vessel may change if they become married, or simply file for a legal name change. This includes hyphenated last names and new first names.

Please proceed to this form to complete the application for legal name change of Vessel Managing Owner: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/legal-name-change-of-vessel-managing-owner/

TRANSFERS OF OWNERSHIP: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/transfer-exchange/
This form is submitted by the NEW OWNER/TRANSFEREE. This form is utilized when purchasing/transferring a vessel: When the sale is finalized you may complete a U.S. Coast Guard Bill of Sale (CG-1340). If there is an outstanding mortgage, the mortgagee (lender) should complete a Satisfaction of Mortgage. The vessel cannot be removed or transferred from documentation with an outstanding mortgage or lien.

VESSELS NOT CURRENTLY DOCUMENTED: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/initial-documentation/

Use this form to obtain US Coast Guard Documentation for new vessels and vessels which have never been documented. If you have purchased a used vessel and it has an Official Documentation Number, please use the form for Transfer/Exchange of Documentation and be sure to upload the appropriate Bill of Sale and/or State Title.
If the vessel is new and has never been documented, ownership may be established by submission of a 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, a copy of the State Registration or Title, or foreign registration showing that the applicant owns the vessel.

PRE-PURCHASE RECOMMENDATIONS: If you are in the process of purchasing a Coast Guard Documented Vessel, it is strongly advised that you order an Official Abstract of Title to verify ownership, check for liens or outstanding mortgages. Documented vessels cannot be transferred to new owners if there is an outstanding mortgage or lien.

You may order an Official Abstract of Title for US Coast Guard Documented vessels via this link:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/abstract-of-title/

• Death
• Incapacitation
• Inheritance
• Right of Survivorship

If you would like to transfer partial ownership, simply fill out the CG-1340 Bill of Sale and indicated total percentage of interest transferred in Block 4A. Link to CG-1340 Bill of Sale: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/CG-1340_Bill_of_Sale.pdf

The vessel ownership transfer process can be executed by completing the Online form for Vessel Transfer of Ownership Form CG-1258 and submitting the necessary fees, found at this link: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/transfer-exchange/

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR TRANSFER:

• Signed and Notarized CG-1340 Bill of Sale: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/CG-1340_Bill_of_Sale.pdf
• Death Certificate (if applicable)
• Documents establishing Right of Survivorship (if applicable)
• Documents establishing inheritance

According to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 46, Part 67:
§ 67.79 Passage of title without court action following death of owner.(a) When title to a vessel formerly owned in whole or in part by an individual now deceased passes without court action, an applicant for documentation must present:(1) When title passes to a surviving joint tenant or tenants or to a tenant by the entirety, a copy of the death certificate, certified by an appropriate State official; or(2) Where the laws of cognizant jurisdiction permit passage of title without court action, evidence of compliance with applicable State law.(b) Passage of title subsequent to devolutions such as those described in paragraph (a) of this section, must be established in accordance with the remainder of this subpart.

• Marriage
• Divorce
• Death
• Incapacitation
• Right of Survivorship

If you would like to transfer partial ownership, simply fill out the CG-1340 Bill of Sale and indicated total percentage of interest transferred in Block 4A. Link to CG-1340 Bill of Sale: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/CG-1340_Bill_of_Sale.pdf

The vessel ownership transfer process can be executed by completing the Online form for Vessel Transfer of Ownership Form CG-1258 and submitting the necessary fees, found at this link:

https://unitedstatesvessel.us/transfer-exchange/

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR TRANSFER:

• Signed and Notarized CG-1340 Bill of Sale: https://unitedstatesvessel.us/CG-1340_Bill_of_Sale.pdf
• Death Certificate (if applicable)
• Documents establishing Right of Survivorship (if applicable)

According to the Code of Federal Regulations Title 46, Part 67:
§ 67.79 Passage of title without court action following death of owner.(a) When title to a vessel formerly owned in whole or in part by an individual now deceased passes without court action, an applicant for documentation must present:(1) When title passes to a surviving joint tenant or tenants or to a tenant by the entirety, a copy of the death certificate, certified by an appropriate State official; or(2) Where the laws of cognizant jurisdiction permit passage of title without court action, evidence of compliance with applicable State law.(b) Passage of title subsequent to devolutions such as those described in paragraph (a) of this section, must be established in accordance with the remainder of this subpart.

For more information, please open the Instruction document corresponding to your needs, found under the Vessel Documentation Forms tab on our website.

Initial Vessel Documentation (vessel never CG documented): https://unitedstatesvessel.us/initial-documentation/

Exchange, Reinstatement of Return to Documentation:  https://unitedstatesvessel.us/return-to-documentation/

Certificate of Documentation Application for Renewal:  https://unitedstatesvessel.us/renewal-documentation/

CERTIFICATES OF DOCUMENTATION FOR RECREATIONAL VESSELS

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, signed into law Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018 includes a provision which allows recreational Certificate of Documentation (COD) holders the ability to select a multi-year document (1-5 years) during an implementation period designated as January 1, 2019-December 31, 2021, after which a five-year document (recreational vessels only) will become automatic.

Recreational vessel owners who wish to renew for more than one year may do so by including additional fees in the amount of $64.00 per extra year requested.

To avoid delays in renewing, owners are encouraged to do so electronically including Recreational vessel owners who wish to renew for a one year period.

Detailed information will be available prior to January 1, 2019 on the US Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) website.

What You See With AIS (click on image above to enlarge in a new browser window)

With this information, you can call any ship over VHF radiotelephone by name, rather than by “ship off my port bow” or some other imprecise means. Or you can dial it up directly using GMDSS equipment. Or you can send to the ship, or receive from it, short safety-related email messages.

The AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder, operating in the VHF maritime band, that is capable of handling well over 4,500 reports per minute and updates as often as every two seconds. It uses Self-Organizing Time Division Multiple Access (SOTDMA) technology to meet this high broadcast rate and ensure reliable ship-to-ship operation.

Emergency position indicating radiobeacons (EPIRBs), devices which cost from $200 to about $1500, are designed to save your life if you get into trouble by alerting rescue authorities and indicating your location. EPIRB types are described below:

Category I

406/121.5 MHZ. Float-free, automatically activated EPIRB. Detectable by satellite anywhere in the world. Recognized by GMDSS.

Category II

406/121.5 MHZ. Similar to Category I, except is manually activated. Some models are also water activated.
See 46 CFR §161.011 Emergency Position Indicating Radiobeacons.

121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs

The International Cospas-Sarsat System ceased satellite processing of 121.5/243 MHz beacons on 1 February 2009.  Although Emergency Locator Transmitters used by aircraft may still be used, alerts from these devices or from 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs will no longer be acted upon unless independently confirmed by two independent non-satellite sources. These Class A, Class B, and Class S devices are no longer allowed to be manufactured, imported, used or sold within the United States. Please see 47 CFR §80.1053 Prohibition on Class A, Class B, Class S, and INMARSAT-E EPIRBs.

406 MHz EPIRBs

The 406 MHz EPIRB was designed to operate with satellites. The signal frequency (406 MHz) has been designated internationally for use only for distress. Other communications and interference, such as on 121.5 MHz, is not allowed on this frequency. Its signal allows a satellite local user terminal to accurately locate the EPIRB (much more accurately — 2 to 5 km vice 25 km — than 121.5/243 MHz devices), and identify the vessel (the signal is encoded with the vessel’s identity) anywhere in the world (there is no range limitation). These devices are detectable not only by COSPAS-SARSAT satellites which are polar orbiting, but also by geostationary GOES weather satellites. EPIRBs detected by the GEOSTAR system, consisting of GOES and other geostationary satellites, send rescue authorities an instant alert, but without location information unless the EPIRB is equipped with an integral GPS receiver.  EPIRBs detected by COSPAS-SARSAT (e.g. TIROS N) satellites provide rescue authorities location of distress, but location and sometimes alerting may be delayed as much as an hour or two. Although these EPIRBs also include a low power 121.5 MHz homing signal, homing on the more powerful 406 MHz frequency has proven to be a significant aid to search and rescue aircraft. These are the only  EPIRB types which can be sold in the United States.

A new type of 406 MHz EPIRB, having an integral GPS navigation receiver, became available in 1998.  This EPIRB will send accurate location as well as identification information to rescue authorities immediately upon activation through both geostationary (GEOSAR) and polar orbiting satellites.  These types of EPIRBs are the best you can buy.

406 MHz emergency locating transmitters (ELTs) for aircraft are also available. 406 MHz personnel locating beacons (PLBs) are available.

The Coast Guard recommends you purchase a 406 MHz EPIRB, preferably one with an integral GPS navigation receiver. A Cat I EPIRB should be purchased if it can be installed properly. An EPIRB can also be rented from multiple providers. It can save your life.

Please see 47 CFR §80.1061 Special requirements for 406.0-406.1 MHz EPIRB stations and 47 CFR §80.1101 Performance standards.

406 MHz GEOSAR System

The major advantage of the 406 MHz low earth orbit system is the provision of global Earth coverage using a limited number of polar-orbiting satellite.  Coverage is not continuous, however, and it may take up to a couple of hours for an EPIRB alert to be received.  To overcome this limitation, COSPAS-SARSAT has 406 MHz EPIRB repeaters aboard several geostationary satellites.

Note that GEOSAR cannot detect 121.5 MHz alerts, nor can it route unregistered 406 MHz alerts to a rescue authority.  GEOSAR cannot calculate the location of any alert it receives, unless the beacon has an integral GPS receiver.

The COSPAS-SARSAT System

COSPAS-SARSAT is an international satellite-based search and rescue system established by the U.S., Russia, Canada and France to locate emergency radio beacons transmitting on the frequencies 121.5, 243 and 406 MHZ.

COSPAS

Space System for Search of Distress Vessels (a Russian acronym)

SARSAT

Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking

Testing EPIRBs

406 MHz EPIRBs can be tested through its self-test function, which is an integral part of the device.  406 MHz EPIRBs can also be tested inside a container designed to prevent its reception by the satellite.  Testing a 406 MHz EPIRB by allowing it to radiate outside such a container is illegal.

Battery Replacement

Batteries must be replaced by the date indicated on the EPIRB label using the model specified by the manufacturer. It should be replaced by a dealer approved by the manufacturer. If the replacement battery is not the proper type, the EPIRB will not operate for the duration specified in a distress.

Registration Of 406 MHz EPIRBs

Proper registration of your 406 MHz satellite emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) is intended to save your life, and is mandated by Federal Communications Commission regulations. The Coast Guard is enforcing this FCC registration rule.

Your life may be saved as a result of registered emergency information. This information can be very helpful in confirming that a distress situation exists, and in arranging appropriate rescue efforts. Also, GOES, a geostationary National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration weather satellite system can pick up and relay an EPIRB distress alert to the Coast Guard well before the international COSPAS-SARSAT satellite can provide location information. If the EPIRB is properly registered, the Coast Guard will be able to use the registration information to immediately begin action on the case. If the EPIRB is unregistered, a distress alert may take as much as two hours longer to reach the Coast Guard over the international satellite system. If an unregistered EPIRB transmission is abbreviated for any reason, the satellite will be unable to determine the EPIRB’s location, and the Coast Guard will be unable to respond to the distress alert. Unregistered EPIRBs have needlessly cost the lives of several mariners since the satellite system became operational.

What Happens To Your Registration Form?

The registration sheet you fill out and send in is entered into the U.S. 406 Beacon Registration Database maintained by NOAA/NESDIS. If your EPIRB is activated, your registration information will be sent automatically to the appropriate USCG SAR Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) for response. One of the first things the RCC watchstanders do is attempt to contact the owner/operator at the phone number listed in the database to determine if the vessel is underway (thus ruling out the possibility of a false alarm due to accidental activation or EPIRB malfunction), the intended route of the vessel if underway, the number of people on board, etc., from a family member. If there is no answer at this number, or no information, the other numbers listed in the database will be called to attempt to get the information described above needed to assist the RCC in responding appropriately to the EPIRB alert.

When RCC personnel contact the emergency phone numbers you provide, they will have all the information you have provided on the registration form. You should let these contacts know as much about your intended voyage as possible (i.e., intended route, stops, area you normally sail/fish/recreate, duration of trip, number of people going, etc.).  The more information these contacts have, the better prepared our SAR personnel will be to react. The contacts can ask the RCC personnel contacting them to be kept informed of any developments, if they so desire.

Registration Regulations

You may be fined for false activation of an unregistered EPIRB. The U.S. Coast Guard routinely refers cases involving the non-distress activation of an EPIRB (e.g., as a hoax, through gross negligence, carelessness or improper storage and handling) to the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC will prosecute cases based upon evidence provided by the Coast Guard, and will issue warning letters or notices of apparent liability for fines up to $10,000.

However, the Coast Guard has suspended forwarding non-distress activations of properly registered 406 MHz EPIRBs to the FCC, unless activation was due to hoax or gross negligence, since these search and rescue cases are less costly to prosecute.

If you purchase a new or a used 406 MHz EPIRB, you MUSTregister it with NOAA. If you change your boat, your address, or your primary phone number, you MUSTre-register your EPIRB with NOAA. If you sell your EPIRB, make sure the purchaser re-registers the EPIRB, or you may be called by the Coast Guard if it later becomes activated.

An FCC ship station license is no longer required to purchase or carry an EPIRB.

How To Register

You may register by visiting the SARSAT Beacon Registration page.

There Is No Charge For This Service. It May Save Your Life.

For additional information on the SARSAT and International Cospas-Sarsat system.

• NOAA SARSAT Homepage
• NASA SAR Mission Office
• International Cospas-Sarsat
• CG-SAR

January 19, 2016 Safety Alert 01-16 Washington, DC

Do you know what equipment relies upon the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) signal? How would you respond if you lost the signal? This past summer, multiple outbound vessels from a non-U.S. port suddenly lost GPS signal reception. The net effect was various alarms and a loss of GPS input to the ship’s surface search radar, gyro units and Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS), resulting in no GPS data for position fixing, radar over ground speed inputs, gyro speed input and loss of collision avoidance capabilities on the radar display. Fortunately, the vessels were able to safely continue their voyage using radar in heads up display, magnetic compass and terrestrial navigation. Approximately 6nm later, the vessels’ GPS units resumed operation. Although the vessels had back-up systems to allow a safe transit, the consequences could have been severe. These types of events highlight the potential detrimental impact to navigation caused by GPS interference or jamming and the importance in understanding how your vessel’s or facility’s equipment could be impacted by a loss of GPS signal.

Whether walking through the city, driving across town or navigating the world, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become an integral part of everyday life. However, at times, the positioning signals may be impacted by interference from both natural and human-made sources. The most common types of interference are reception issues, usually due to bad installations, poor antenna positioning or faulty equipment. Jamming devices (https://transition.fcc.gov/eb/jammerenforcement/fccdhssj.pdf), while illegal in the U.S. and a threat to safety, have been used for nefarious or deceptive purposes. Interference can also be unintentionally caused when operating GNSS in close proximity to other radiating devices, such as amplified TV antennas (see our Safety Alert 11-02). Therefore, it is important to remember to use all available means for navigation and maintain proficiency so you can still navigate should your primary GPS fail.

Indicators of positioning systems interference include an intermittent signal, no signal, or an incorrect signal. Suspected or suspicious disruptions should be reported immediately. Critical information to take note of during a disruption event includes location, time, and period of outage.

Commercial operators are reminded, should your navigation or other equipment onboard (e.g. AIS) be impaired as a result of a disruption or interference, this should be reported to the nearest U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, District Commander or Vessel Traffic Center as soon as possible; and, await further directions (per 33 CFR 164.53).

All operators should be aware, vigilant, and immediately report GPS disruptions to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN). The report will be disseminated to the U.S. Air Force GPS Operations Center and the Federal Aviation Administration in an attempt to identify the problem and correlate with any other GPS incidents in the same general geographic location. Depending on the severity of the report, NAVCEN may refer it to law enforcement and/or other federal agencies for further investigation.

Reporting a disruption – or other navigation hazards or aids to navigation outages – is simple, and can be done electronically (http://www.navcen.uscg.gov – the preferred method) or phone call to the NAVCEN (703- 313-5900), 24 hours a day.

This Safety Alert is provided for informational purposes only and does not relieve any domestic or international safety, operational or material requirement. Questions should be forwarded to the Coast Guard Navigation Center at 703-313-5900 or via email using the NAVCEN website, http://www.navcen.uscg.gov. Inspections and Compliance Directorate