Florida Registration with CG Title

[Cap Morgan]

Happy New Year everyone!

I’m wondering if any Floridians have had experience with this issue. My recently acquired CAL 39 has been on the hard for over a month and I’m hoping to launch her within the next 10 days or so. At the end of October my Broker filed an application for USCG titling. Boat was already USCG titled so just needed a “change” of owner and boat name. Broker warned that its 3-6 months before they’ll get around to it! It was advised that I keep the Bill of Sale and the application to the CG on board while I wait which I be done. However, when I visited the Tax Collector to acquire the State Registration they informed me that in addition to original title documents I need to email the webmaster at USCG regarding status of the application. I then need to bring the email response to the tax collector b4 they can move forward with registration.
Needless to say I need to get my boat out of the pricey boat yard. Any suggestions as to how I may proceed given that the CG won’t respond to emails or phone calls/ Vmail? Has anyone experienced this, how did you proceed legally?

[Manateeman]

The Coast Guard Documents vessels ...it does not registers them . Then you get a Florida sticker which is like a use tax. A lot of towns need the tax and it helps pay for services and it’s not a lot of money. We don’t understand what this has to do with getting your boat out of the yard.

[S/V Illusion]

Sounds like you are confusing document names.

All Florida requires are a Title and Bill of Sale. CG documentation is irrelevant. Florida doesn’t care about that unless it is being used in lieu of an actual Title document.

[Shanachie]

About three years ago, I had a major snafu when I bought a foreclosed sailboat in Florida and the paperwork was screwed up by the bank.


I ended up doing what you were advised to do: I kept the bill of sale, the filled-in Coast Guard transfer of ownership form and related documents on board. I also took the old state sticker off the boat.


Interestingly, I was never stopped by any law enforcement agency during the six months it took for me to complete the process by hiring a lawyer who threatened everyone involved.


My take is that the various marine patrols in Florida have little interest in enforcing laws. They mostly race around on their boats at 30 knots, throwing wakes at small vessels.


The ones I passed during that time never gave me a second glance to see whether I had an up-to-date sticker. (The last time I was stopped by a marine patrol here was in 1981 ...)



A potentially stickier issue is that if your boat is wrecked, you will not be able to collect on your insurance until the paperwork is completed.



That's because you need proof of ownership to present to the insurance company to collect your check.

[HeywoodJ]

Originally Posted by Cap Morgan

...Any suggestions as to how I may proceed given that the CG won’t respond to emails or phone calls/ Vmail? Has anyone experienced this, how did you proceed legally?

You haven’t got much helpful, but you have it pretty much right, to register your boat in Florida, if it is USCG documented you have to provide the document at the time of registration.

The part I’m surprised by is lack of response by the NVDC, they are the one government agency I have always found to be available and useful. Maybe a holiday schedule? I would try them during regular phone hours, IME the pick up, answer questions, and take care of things.

NVDC Contact Info

Phone Numbers:
Toll Free: (800) 799-8362
Main: (304) 271-2400
Phone Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
Phones are not manned on Thursdays

All Times are Eastern Time (Standard or Daylight Savings, when applicable)

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Sounds like you are confusing document names.

All Florida requires are a Title and Bill of Sale. CG documentation is irrelevant. Florida doesn’t care about that unless it is being used in lieu of an actual Title document.

Based on the FLHSMV website, USCG documented vessels are exempt from titling, but like other states it will need to be registered.
https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicle...registrations/

If you meet the requirements for an antique vessel, then you are exempt from paying annual registration fees. https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/87243.pdf

Edit: To address moving the boat, check into boat US to tow your boat to a different marina to complete the repairs. Worth the $180/yr to even tow your boat once to another marina.

[Sun and Moon]

As others said, you don't need the CG documentation resolved to register your boat in Florida. Get out of Miami. It is the epicenter of corruption, patronage and incompetence. Any DMV/Tax collection office in Florida can handle this, regardless of where the boat is.

[Cap Morgan]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

The Coast Guard Documents vessels ...it does not registers them . Then you get a Florida sticker which is like a use tax. A lot of towns need the tax and it helps pay for services and it’s not a lot of money. We don’t understand what this has to do with getting your boat out of the yard.

Manateeman, yes I’m aware of the USCG application being for title only and the State issuing the registration tags. The issue is that in order to get those tags I went to a tag office who then sent me to the tax collector’s office. There I was informed that they needed proof of the status of my USCG application which I’ve been having trouble getting. No one has answered my emails or phone calls.

My concern upon leaving the boatyard is that if I get pulled over without tags they will throw the book at me if the officer is having a bad day say.. in fact the tax collector suggested I not launch the boat without tags. I would imagine that this is no different to driving down the street without tags.

[Cap Morgan]

Originally Posted by HeywoodJ

You haven’t got much helpful, but you have it pretty much right, to register your boat in Florida, if it is USCG documented you have to provide the document at the time of registration.

The part I’m surprised by is lack of response by the NVDC, they are the one government agency I have always found to be available and useful. Maybe a holiday schedule? I would try them during regular phone hours, IME the pick up, answer questions, and take care of things.

NVDC Contact Info

HeywoodJ, thanks for this information. I will try again tomorrow and see if I can reach them by phone and email. Wish me luck!

[Cap Morgan]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Based on the FLHSMV website, USCG documented vessels are exempt from titling, but like other states it will need to be registered.
https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicle...registrations/

If you meet the requirements for an antique vessel, then you are exempt from paying annual registration fees. https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/87243.pdf

Edit: To address moving the boat, check into boat US to tow your boat to a different marina to complete the repairs. Worth the $180/yr to even tow your boat once to another marina.

Bill O,
Very interesting point you make on antique registration. It just so happens that I noticed an antique vessel sticker in one of my port lights. I’ll have to look into renewing that. It does qualify on all requirements listed at the link you provided.

Thanks again!

[Manateeman]

OK. I thought you wanted to document your boat as you said change owner and vessel name. That’s what the CG does and if you have submitted the paperwork and paid, I think you are ok but just to protect yourself, I’d document you went to the tax office for the sticker.
I guess you want to register not document your boat.
We are pretty happy with a documented vessel and paying a yearly sticker.
Not sure how to help you register. We did this with a dinghy but it was not in Miami and went smoothly.
Mark

[HeywoodJ]

It’s been a while since I was in a hurry with the NVDC, had forgotten about the Work Packet Search. You may be able to get enough to satisfy the FL tax man online. Since the boat was previously documented you should be able to just enter the document number. No idea if the simple response page, printed out, will satisfy.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Cap Morgan

Happy New Year everyone!

I’m wondering if any Floridians have had experience with this issue. My recently acquired CAL 39 has been on the hard for over a month and I’m hoping to launch her within the next 10 days or so. At the end of October my Broker filed an application for USCG titling. Boat was already USCG titled so just needed a “change” of owner and boat name. Broker warned that its 3-6 months before they’ll get around to it! It was advised that I keep the Bill of Sale and the application to the CG on board while I wait which I be done. However, when I visited the Tax Collector to acquire the State Registration they informed me that in addition to original title documents I need to email the webmaster at USCG regarding status of the application. I then need to bring the email response to the tax collector b4 they can move forward with registration.
Needless to say I need to get my boat out of the pricey boat yard. Any suggestions as to how I may proceed given that the CG won’t respond to emails or phone calls/ Vmail? Has anyone experienced this, how did you proceed legally?

You do need a title in your name to register the boat. Either through the USCG or Florida. You can expedite the NVDC process. Give them a call, they're usually pretty helpful.

[Cap Morgan]

Originally Posted by Sun and Moon

As others said, you don't need the CG documentation resolved to register your boat in Florida. Get out of Miami. It is the epicenter of corruption, patronage and incompetence. Any DMV/Tax collection office in Florida can handle this, regardless of where the boat is.

Sun and Moon,

Great point you make there. Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll try to do this in another county. Doesn’t seem logical that the State should need the Federal documentation in order to issue tags. Something doesn’t smell right. I don’t have a problem paying for tags, I just need them.

[GWilly]

I’m not in FL so no experience or knowledge of your state’s requirements. But I would not have applied for the state registration *until* I had the USCG documentation in hand. My own boat is documented and was also registered with my home state (WA State) by the previous owner, so I’ve just continued with all that. I’ve never had any problems with the NVDC, my renewals have always been done quickly and timely. Just be sure you’re dealing with them and not for one of the slimeball private outfits that try to suck money out of you.