USCG Certificate of Ownership Overview

What you should know about the USCG Certificate of Ownership of Vessel.

A vessel Certificate of Ownership is a statement issued by the USCG that certifies as to the most recent owner of record, documentation status and any encumbrances that remain open on the underlying Abstract of Title. It is basically a condensation of the abstract itself into the most outstanding entries. The service includes a full review of all recordings by a documentation officer for any potential conflicts or errors.

Usage Context

The certificate of ownership is utilized primarily in situations where a USCG certification is required for legal, insurance or financing purposes in respect to a documented vessel. However, it can also serve as a convenience for anyone who does not have the expertise for interpreting an Abstract of Title. This is especially true for older vessels with lots of recordings in formats that have changed over time.

How to Obtain a Certificate of Ownership

A certificate of ownership is issued by the National Vessel Documentation Center and can be obtained directly from that office. An order form with pricing information can be found in the References for this page.

Conclusion

Caution should be exercised in situations where the Certificate of Documentation has expired. This means that ownership may have changed hands, although not re-documented by a subsequent owner.

References and Referrals
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