How to Transfer My Documentation
What Documents do I Need to Buy or Sell my Boat?
So you’ve just experienced one of the two best days in a yacht owner’s life – you’ve either just sold your yacht, or just bought a new one. What paperwork do you need to sign to transfer the ownership so you can start enjoying your new boat – or get the old one off your books? The answer depends on whether the yacht is already documented with the Coast Guard, or is currently state titled. Our on-line web forms allow you to upload the required documents directly from your computer, or if you don’t have them handy you can always e-mail or fax them to us later.
If the vessel is currently USCG Documented, then all you need is:
A copy of both sides of the Certificate of Documentation, with the reverse side:
Signed by all owners listed on the front side;
Notarized by a notary public; and
Stating the name and address of the new owner(s) in the two blank lines above the signature block.
If for some reason you don’t have the Certificate of Documentation that’s fine – we can easily generate a Coast Guard bill of sale for the owner to notarize either manually or electronically using our on-line notaries.
If the vessel is NOT currently USCG Documented, then all the paperwork you’ll need is:
A copy of the current state registration; and
A Coast Guard bill of sale executed by the seller.
Again, if you don’t have a USCG Bill of Sale handy we can issue one for the seller to notarize.
Once you've uploaded us the required documents and filled out the web forms, we'll process your application and file it with the Coast Guard, with all filing fees included.
Here at Yacht Docs Online we specialize in “weird” cases where the paperwork gets complicated – if you have a complicated titling question then give us a call at 1-855-YACHT-DOCS (1-855-922-4836) and we will be happy to discuss how we can resolve the issue so you can get back to enjoying your yacht!
