Fake USCG Registration

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I agree that this is very valid information for us all. There are multiple bad players out there trying to grab your money for something that is very simple and inexpensive to complete yourself. To keep this thread from becoming a company bash, let's avoid naming the bad players and keep the word alive to our bretheren that the ONLY inexpensive way to update your vessel's documentation is via the USCG links at a USA government .mil or .gov website.

There should never be a surcharge or renewing credit card authorization if you're on the government site. Some bad players out there are doing everything they can to make their website and mailings look like the product of government officials...but they are NOT.

Caveat Emptor
 
I received the same scam in the mail a few weeks ago. This one was from usdocumentation.us and suggested that I go to their website to renew. A couple things about the letter got my attention and raised my attennas. The letter was printed in color. I've been getting these renewal letters for years, always in black and white. Also, the .us extention denotes a commercial website rather than .gov or .mil that you'd expect from the Coasties. And going to the website, they wanted $75 for a 1 year renewal rather than $26, the actual cost. Plus they'd get my credit card number.

Thinking that maybe USCG had hired these guys as agents for them, I visited our local Coast Guard detachment in Bellingham and spoke with the officer of the day. This person knew of no such agency arrangement for documentation renewal, took a copy of the letter and forwarded it to the Coast Guard's NCIS for investigation. I also gave a copy to the Port of Bellingham so they'd know this scam was in play and could advise other boat owners. The Port of Edmonds to the south of us has sent letters to their tennants, advising them of this scam.
 
I did mine online in just a few minutes at the official USCG documentation site.

If you intend to deal directly with the US governemt then make sure whatever site you are on has a .gov url.

Anything else is a commercial for profit site.

If you want to use a commercial site, thats fine as well, just be aware that the commercial sites charge a fee for their service.
 
USCG Documented Vessels Beware

I just realized after reading this thread that I've never gotten a renewal for my documentation. I know (or thought) the boat was documented because the lender required it.

Interesting...
 
IMG_9661.jpg

It shows up in their database but there is no expiration date shown like I see on other boat's data sheets. Maybe the lender is paying to renew?
 
Newbie question
What is a USGC documented ship ?
I live on the Mississippi and we don't document.
Advantages and disadvantages ?

I'm trying to learn on this stuff
 
Renewal by mail is easy. But finding the overseas stamp for Nigeria was difficult.
 
I renewed last month using Pay.gov. Got my new certificate the following week...
 
Documentation renewal

Just a reminder to all you owners of documented boats, when it comes time to renew, only go to the CG documentation website and renew for $26. If you get a reminder letter and it gives you a website address and they want $75, that is not the CG website but a private documentation service. The letter looks very official and fools many people into thinking it came from the CG. It even has a West VA return address even though it was mailed from CAL.
BEWARE!
 
The letter I got was from uscgdocumentation.us. Thinking that these guys might be authorized agents, I took the letter to the local USCG office, who said it was a scam.
 
Ken E. said:
The letter I got was from uscgdocumentation.us. Thinking that these guys might be authorized agents, I took the letter to the local USCG office, who said it was a scam.
Click to expand...

Well, it's not a scam. They are a legitimate documentation service. I fell for it thinking I was dealing with the CG. Paid my $75 and I did get my renewal document.

Legal, probably yes. Ethical...no way. The reminder letter and website are both designed to make people think they are dealing with the CG.
 
Last edited:
It may be worth paying a service for your original documentation. It's certainly not for renewal. They send you a letter, you sign it and send it back with the fee (now $26, it used to be free).
 
WesK said:
It may be worth paying a service for your original documentation. It's certainly not for renewal. They send you a letter, you sign it and send it back with the fee (now $26, it used to be free).
Click to expand...

I agree that under certain circumstances, it might be prudent to use a service for the original documentation. I only did once because I didn't know anything about documentation and the yacht broker handled it. Since then, I've always done it myself.

As far as renewal goes....it's like changing a burned out light bulb. I can do it myself for the cost of the bulb or I can pay an electrician $100 to do it for me.
 
I fell for this scam as well as a lot of people. I'm doing everything I can on this as well as other boating forums to alert as many people as possible.
Pass the word to anyone with a documented boat. Let's keep this thread at the top of the page
 
ctbarbarian said:
Newbie question
What is a USGC documented ship ?
I live on the Mississippi and we don't document.
Advantages and disadvantages ?

I'm trying to learn on this stuff
Click to expand...

If you see a boat that has no state numbers on the bow, it is Coast Guard Documented. You won't see many, if any, under 28-30' and quite a few over 40' will be documented. The bigger the boat, the more likely to be documented. There are pros and cons and also has to do with the state you live in. Most states require documented boats to be state registered as well. Some , like VA where I am does not.
The states that require it still make you put a state registration sticker on the boat, but you do not put state numbers on it.
 
Probably the same people who masquerade as the USPS address change site and charge you $20 for the same service the USPS charges $1 for.
 
Mine is 24ft. 10in. and is in the process of being documented right now. To answer the question of why to get a boat documented, I did it so I wouldn't have to put up with all the different state laws on registion. We plan to use of boat in many different states, leave it stored between trips in some of these states, and don't want the state saying we have to register it there because it is there more than 90 days.
 
Steve Jackson said:
Mine is 24ft. 10in. and is in the process of being documented right now. To answer the question of why to get a boat documented, I did it so I wouldn't have to put up with all the different state laws on registion. We plan to use of boat in many different states, leave it stored between trips in some of these states, and don't want the state saying we have to register it there because it is there more than 90 days.
Click to expand...



Interesting... you might check States like Florida...I think the ninety days you mentioned may not apply. Also you must have a heavy boat..I thought 5 net Tons was the minimum for documentation but I'm not sure it's enforced.

https://www.uscgboating.org/images/420.PDF
 
Steve Jackson said:
...I did it so I wouldn't have to put up with all the different state laws on registion...
Click to expand...

Most states I've heard of still want their registration fee and/or excise tax revenue, even if you're federally documented.

The only federal requirement is that the state can't force you to put registration numbers on the forward half of the hull. In fact, you're prohibited from putting any numbers there if the boat is federally documented.
 
In CO the boat trailer needed papers and a license. This covered the cost of the boat license too. Maybe things have changed, that was 15 years ago.
 
CaptTom said:
Most states I've heard of still want their registration fee and/or excise tax revenue, even if you're federally documented.

The only federal requirement is that the state can't force you to put registration numbers on the forward half of the hull. In fact, you're prohibited from putting any numbers there if the boat is federally documented.
Click to expand...

I'm in VA and it's optional to register documented boats. I never have as there is no need to.
 
cardude01 said:
I just realized after reading this thread that I've never gotten a renewal for my documentation. I know (or thought) the boat was documented because the lender required it.

Interesting...
Click to expand...

How long have you had the boat?
 
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