Completing the transfer of ownership for boats in the United States requires either the transfer of State Title or the transfer of Coast Guard Documentation. Although Documentation Transfers can be completed online, most State Titles must be transferred via their respective State registrars (DMVs).
More on selling boats
For boats that are more than 25ft. in length and have the hailing port and boat name on the back of the boat, you will likely be completing a transfer of Coast Guard Documentation. Some of these yachts are titled, but more often than not, they are documented by the Coast Guard, primarily if they are located on coastal waters. For boats less than 25 ft, including small fishing boats, lake boats, personal watercraft, jet skis, pontoon boats, etc., you will be transferring a State Title.
To complete the necessary application to sell/transfer a Coast Guard Documented boat, the buyer and seller must complete a notarized CG-1340 Bill of sale. The buyer may process the online application for Transfer of Ownership via the link below:
https://forms.unitedstatesvessel.us/vessel-transfer-of-ownership
If the boat is financed or has a lien on record, you must first satisfy (pay off) the mortgage or lien before the sale.
If you are selling a documented vessel to a non-US (foreign) citizen, you must process a Deletion from Documentation immediately after the sale is completed. Non-US citizens are barred from owning US Coast Guard Documented vessels by federal law. You may proceed to the webform application for the CG-4593 Deletion from Documentation via the web address below:
https://forms.unitedstatesvessel.us/deletion-from-uscg-documentation
No other forms or documents are required to complete the sale/transfer unless a dealer or broker is involved in the sale and there are purchase agreements, escrow, financing, or other contracts.
For private or brokered transactions through services like Dexter Marine Group, it is always recommended to hire a licensed and certified Marine Surveyor to verify that the vessel complies with all Coast Guard Safety regulations and requirements.
Buying a boat privately
If you are purchasing a used boat, you must order an Abstract of Title to check for any liens or encumbrances, as they are on record and would transfer with the sale of the boat.
To request an Abstract of Title for Coast Guard Documented boats online, you can navigate to the web address below to complete the application:
https://unitedstatesvessel.us/abstract-of-title/
You will need the vessel’s Hull Identification Number or Official Number to complete the request. The Hull ID and Official Number can be found on the vessel or the Certificate of Documentation. If you only know the boat’s name and wish to look up the Official Number, you may proceed to the Coast Guard Port State Information Exchange website and enter what details you know about the vessel.
https://cgmix.uscg.mil/psix/psixsearch.aspx
If you are a foreign (non-US) citizen, purchasing a vessel that is Coast Guard Documented is impossible. The seller of the vessel must submit a request to delete the vessel from the Coast Guard database, which is a relatively simple process.
For private or brokered transactions, it is always recommended to hire a licensed and certified Marine Surveyor to verify that the vessel complies with all Coast Guard Safety regulations and requirements.
