I forget the schedule but all will go to 5 years after the transition period where it is optional.
USCG Vessel Documentation
- Thread starter Eddie W
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Nocanvas
Senior Member
For us in Washington State, sales tax was triggered for our out of state purchase (boat was on the hard) when the boat touched Washington State waters. Three months for the COD to arrive (boat had no liens on sale or purchase) and then less than a month for the renewal online. We had a good broker who was very informative it helps peace of mind.
I just renewed our COD online. Looked for the multi year option but if i understand correctly in order to get more than the annual renewal you have to fill form and snail mail w/ check of CC authorization... online renewal & payment only good for 1 year.
I guess it will take several years to modify their system to accept multi year online???
EDIT UPDATE: Ordered 1/12 PM Received Renewal 1/16
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Comodave
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I didn’t want to do the 5 year renewal since out of 23 boats we have only kept one for 5 years or more. Personally I would rather do the 1 year at a time since you don’t save any money doing the extra years. I just put a yearly reminder in my smart phone so I don’t forget to do the renewal on time.
That is still an option for a couple more years. Then all will go to 5 year term as the o ly option. I haven't seen any details if a balance can be applied to a different boat but doubt you will ever see a refund if selling / trading?
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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USCG Application Delays
Well well well:
https://www.workboat.com/news/gover...sMEhadU15WFF6YnNkYW5oN1piQkZFRkQ1bExTajEifQ==
Well well well:
https://www.workboat.com/news/gover...sMEhadU15WFF6YnNkYW5oN1piQkZFRkQ1bExTajEifQ==
Comodave
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But what about redundancy? Do you have twin reminders? Or do use a paper backup? :lol::lol:
No, just the smart phone is enough.
psneeld
Guru
When I did mine last summer...if you wanted multiple year...all you did was pay a multiple of the basic fee for the number of years wanted. Did they stop that?
It sort of was in the fine print so I think a lot of people might have missed it.
It sort of was in the fine print so I think a lot of people might have missed it.
kthoennes
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Just filed and paid the renewal online Jan 31, got the certificate in the mail on Saturday, Feb 8. Looks like the online and pay.gov process is still fully automated and kicks it out with lightning speed. I didn't do the multi-year though. As a previous poster says, if I'm reading the instructions and the process correctly, you do have to snail-mail a check and the renewal form for multi-year. I just did single year again because I don't want to risk the hassle of an expiration and then a late fee and I wouldn't see a renewal certificate until 2029.
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I set up for multiyear Documentation renewal a couple years ago. I failed to notice that a new Document was not mailed to me at the beginning of 2019. No renewal notice was received. I renewed Sandpipers Documentation online in December 2019. I received a phone call from the Documentation Center in January informing me that the Documentation had expired.
I pointed out my previous multiyear renewal and not receiving a renewal reminder. The Documentation associate said there was a glitch in the system with multiyear and could not find my multiyear request. He added that notices were courtesy notices and not guaranteed.
The fee to reactivate the Documentation is $450 plus the $75 Documentation fee!
I decided not to give the Feds any more money and take the boat out of Documentation. Even though the Documentation was expired, I had to pay $125 to take the boat out of Documentation. They would not apply the $75 I had paid online for the 2020 renewal. I paid the $125 and had to raise a stink to get kicked up to someone higher up. Finally after 2 weeks, I received a credit on my card for the $75.
I wonder if the Documentation Center is operated by USCG personnel or a private contractor?
In Washington State, a Documented vessel has to still register with the state and pay an annual fee. I saw no reason to pay both the state and the Feds.
Up until a few years ago, there was no charge for the annual Documentation renewal and a renewal notice was sent out every year in the fall. So now we have a fee with less service.
It's just another tax disguised as a federal users fee. Similar to the annual $25 US Customs decal required in order to return to the US. Cars do not need a sticker to return to the US.
I pointed out my previous multiyear renewal and not receiving a renewal reminder. The Documentation associate said there was a glitch in the system with multiyear and could not find my multiyear request. He added that notices were courtesy notices and not guaranteed.
The fee to reactivate the Documentation is $450 plus the $75 Documentation fee!
I decided not to give the Feds any more money and take the boat out of Documentation. Even though the Documentation was expired, I had to pay $125 to take the boat out of Documentation. They would not apply the $75 I had paid online for the 2020 renewal. I paid the $125 and had to raise a stink to get kicked up to someone higher up. Finally after 2 weeks, I received a credit on my card for the $75.
I wonder if the Documentation Center is operated by USCG personnel or a private contractor?
In Washington State, a Documented vessel has to still register with the state and pay an annual fee. I saw no reason to pay both the state and the Feds.
Up until a few years ago, there was no charge for the annual Documentation renewal and a renewal notice was sent out every year in the fall. So now we have a fee with less service.
It's just another tax disguised as a federal users fee. Similar to the annual $25 US Customs decal required in order to return to the US. Cars do not need a sticker to return to the US.
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Bare Necessities
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I had just a simple renewal but it wasn't any problem at all. Mine expired at he end of January 2020. I sent in the $26.00 fee and of course filled out the renewal portion in January and I received it back already.
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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Just renewed mine today online. Quick and easy. Still didn't see an option for 3-5 years.
I regularly read here comments like "I failed to renew" and "I didn't realize it was due" and "I didn't get a renewal notice." Do you not all keep some form of reminders, either computer or mobile app or calendar or something? If not, I'd highly recommend such as they're easy and so readily available today. I know it's second nature to those of us who have had it available and used such since we were young, but previously I know many had pocket calendars and reminders. I long ago lost confidence in anyone sending reminders although I do get a lot of them electronically, but I do send myself reminders.
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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After receiving annual renewal reminders from the Documentation Center for over 35 years, one gets into a routine so keeping reminders was not necessary. My bad.
I was also led to believe by the Documentation Center that my renewal was multiyear, which I later learned was not true, due to a glitch in their system.
Every government agency, state and federal sends out reminders. Documentation Center sent renewal notices when documentation renewal was free. Now that there is a $75 fee, no notices?
I still think the DC went private contractor - profit motivation. Anybody have info on that?
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No, they didn't.
They were in good shape before the government shut down a year ago. That apparently left them feeling defeated plus they had computer issues later.
As to all the years of receiving notices, it happens on many things. People don't receive property tax bills or even just phone bills. It use to be "lost in the mail" was an excuse, but generally not true. Today, I wouldn't depend on anything coming in the US Mail. Too many pieces go astray. I'm just not going to trust others, whether the DC or USPS or whomever it might be to always do it right. I know someone who almost lost property in Central Florida in a Tax Auction. They had two parcels and hadn't gotten a bill or paid on one of them for several years. Seems the address on that account was in the system wrong.
tozz
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I have a heavily modified copy of the MV Dirona maintenance spreadsheet and added a documentation section. I put a 2 month warning for USCG documentation renewal.
https://mvdirona.com/blog/content/binary/DironaMaintenanceScheduleWithOtherMachinery.xlsx
-tozz
psneeld
Guru
Right off NVDC site....
not sure where the confusion lies...
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2291786
Multi-Year Certificate of Documentation: RECREATIONAL Only
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 01/18/2019 09:10 AM EST [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Recreational vessel owners who wish to renew for more than one year may do so by including additional fees in the amount of $26.00 per extra year requested, and annotating same on the CG-7042 Credit Card Form, or in the Memo line of checks.[/FONT]
not sure where the confusion lies...
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/2291786
Multi-Year Certificate of Documentation: RECREATIONAL Only
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 01/18/2019 09:10 AM EST [FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Recreational vessel owners who wish to renew for more than one year may do so by including additional fees in the amount of $26.00 per extra year requested, and annotating same on the CG-7042 Credit Card Form, or in the Memo line of checks.[/FONT]
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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I think most of us were looking for a 2 and 3 year button. I missed the above somewhere.....
kthoennes
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Well yes, a multi-year button would be nice, but I don't necessarily need that. I can snail mail a multi-year check and a paper form easily enough but doing that takes your renewal out of the still-fast automated process so you may or may not get your renewal before expiration and then all kinds of potential hassles ensue. That's the issue.
psneeld
Guru
Are you sure it's not on the pay by internet credit card method?
When I did mine, it said whatever multiple of the basic you paid, they would grant the documentation for that amount of years.
Devoted Sun
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Just got my Documents after sending them in 2/2019, just under 12 months. Had to revise the bill of sale.
Billr2019
Veteran Member
Previous owner let the documentation lapse since we was selling the boat.
Took about 5 months for me to get the COD hardcopy.
Also the previous owner misplace the original MMSI paperwork and I want to upgrade my AIS to a transponder model. The vendor states they need the paperwork to program the new unit.
The COD spells out the MMSI number. Hope that will be enough for them.
Took about 5 months for me to get the COD hardcopy.
Also the previous owner misplace the original MMSI paperwork and I want to upgrade my AIS to a transponder model. The vendor states they need the paperwork to program the new unit.
The COD spells out the MMSI number. Hope that will be enough for them.
Alaskan Sea-Duction
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Received my new documentation today. Just for 1 year. It took 5 days to get a new one!!
