USCG Documentation

The USCG Documentation Number: What to Know and How it Can Help

Are you in the process of determining whether or not you want to get a USCG documentation number for your vessel? Did you get a number and are now unsure about what to do next? There are so many benefits that come from having a documented vessel. For many vessels, such as those that measure more than five net tons and are going to be used for commercial fishery activities or in coastwise trade, they need this number. Still, other vessel owners may choose to document their vessels because they’re engaging in foreign trade or want to get a preferred ship’s mortgage. No matter why you want to get your vessel documented, we can help. 

History of the USCG Documentation Number 

Vessel documentation in the United States dates back to one of the first acts of the very First Congress. Should you choose to get this number, it will stay with the boat for its “lifetime.” You may have heard this number referred to by the acronym “ON,” standing for “official number.” Years ago, so many could only get this number by filling out a form by hand and mailing it to the authorities. Now, you can use our site to expedite the process. 

USCG Documentation

How to Get This Number 

At our site, you can get this form in just a few easy steps. Simply go to our site, click on “Initial,” and then fill out the form. We’ve made our site optimized for mobile devices. What that means is that you can fill out this form from just about anywhere and on any device, so long as you’re connected to the internet. You could complete it on your phone, your tablet, or anything else – it’s that easy. 

Where to Show This Number on Your Vessel 

The number has to be attached permanently to your vessel, on a clearly visible area on the interior of your vessel. Speaking of “clearly visible,” it has to be in numbers that are at least three inches in height. The authorities aren’t kidding when it comes to the words “attached permanently.” To that end, you have to affix it to your vessel in such a way that any alteration or change would damage the hull area or just be obvious to an onlooker. 

Hanging Onto this Number for Years to Come and More 

Many of our clients start by getting this number from our site, but it’s far from the only reason that they use our site. Once you get this number, of course, you want to hang onto it, year after year. You could renew it every single year through our site, or, alternatively, you could choose to renew it for up to five years in advance. Doing this is so simple, in fact, you can do it at the same time that you file for your initial number. This is just one of the forms we offer. To see everything that we have, head to our site.