U.S. Coast Guard makes boat Certificate of Documentation valid for five Years
Joyce Miller
newsroom@lakesunonline.com
Of the nation’s nearly 12 million registered recreational boats, those owners who federally document their vessels, or about 165,000 boats, will be spared the hassle of renewing their U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation every year as a result of recent rule change that now makes documentation valid for five years. The move was the result of Coast Guard cost-saving efforts and requirements set forth in the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018.
In Missouri, the change will impact approximately 13,000 boats owners across the state. The majority of those are recreational boat owners. Fewer than 3,000 of the documented boats in Missouri are classified as commercial.