What do I do if my Coast Guard Documentation Expires?

We all miss things once in a while - birthdays, anniversaries, and sometimes our annual Coast Guard documentation renewal. If you miss the deadline to renew your boat registration, don't worry - remedying the situation is quick and easy.

First, if you renew within 30 days of the expiration date (either online or by mailing in a CG-1280 Renewal Form) you can simply pay a late fee of $5 extra - not a big deal. Here at Yacht Docs Online, we absorb the fee and don't charge you extra for the lateness.

If your documentation expired more than 30 days ago, you will have to file a CG-1258 Reinstatement, which is unfortunately a bit more expensive. Usually reinstatement are processed and you will have the new documentation within 2-4 weeks.

What if you're buying or selling your boat and you find out the documentation is expired? Don't sweat it - we can process the reinstatement at the same time as the transfer to the new owner, so you don't have to wait for the reinstatement before completing the sale, and there will be no delay in the new owner getting their Certificate of Documentation. It's best to process the reinstatement and the transfer together if possible, to make sure there's no delay or issues with the transfer.