US Coast Guard Documentation and State Title???

[ChrisPuget]

Hi all --- I have always had both a state title for my sailboat and a Coast Guard Documentation. I would be interested to know if others have this same situation.

[Calif.Ted]

California only requires one or the other, in fact I don't believe it's possible to have both here.

[Kettlewell]

According to Washington State:

Note: We don't issue titles for documented boats. The federal government provides the ownership documents.

https://dol.wa.gov/vehicles-and-boat...cumented-boats

[Jebtrois]

To my knowledge, a coast guard documented boat cannot be titled by a state. States can require the paperwork, but the federal documentation supersedes the registration and so you don't put the numbers on the boat.

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice...mentation-faqs

[leecea]

In MD we register and pay a state fee, and we get a sticker that shows we've paid. It says "Documented" in place of the usual registration numbers.

If you have both documentation and state title you may need to get some advice on how best to undo that.

[Cheyne]

Virginia does not title boats that are USCG documented. You may register that boat with the State, but are not required to.

From State website:

Vessels documented by the U.S. Coast Guard cannot be titled in Virginia. Though there is no requirement that documented vessels be registered, owners may register them if desired. The registration decals may be useful if traveling to another state that requires display of registration decals.

[NorthCoastJoe]

To my understanding you can have one or the other, but not both. It would be like having a car with plates from two states on the bumper.

States can require you pay a fee and get a sticker but that is all if you are a USCG documented vessel. If you have a documented vessel you can NOT have state numbers on it.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by ChrisPuget

Hi all --- I have always had both a state title for my sailboat and a Coast Guard Documentation. I would be interested to know if others have this same situation.

I had a CG title/documentation and a State registration

[Statistical]

States legally can't title documented boats but if the prior owner made a mistake and had it titled I can see how it could happen.

You should contact your state and advised them of the mistake they likely have some procedure for voiding the title. Alternatively you can contact the USCG advising them the vessel is titled in a state and the documentation should be voided.

People often conflate title/documentation, registration, and taxes. While all three are related they are three distinct things. You CAN title, register, and pay taxes on a boat but you can also pay taxes on a boat and not register it or register a boat and not title it.

If you are USCG documented vessel you should not be titled with any state. If you are titled with any state and wish to be documented you need to file to have the state title voided upon documentation. If you are documented and wish to be titled with a state you need to have the documentation voided.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Cheyne

Virginia does not title boats that are USCG documented. You may register that boat with the State, but are not required to.

From State website:

Vessels documented by the U.S. Coast Guard cannot be titled in Virginia. Though there is no requirement that documented vessels be registered, owners may register them if desired. The registration decals may be useful if traveling to another state that requires display of registration decals.

That is correct. For completeness even if not registered you need to pay state watercraft sales tax within 90 days of buying a documented boat in VA or bringing a newly purchased boat into VA. Many people assume you must register it to do that but you don't need to. You can use this form:

https://dwr.virginia.gov/forms-downl...-Worksheet.pdf

So in VA at least there are three routes
1) for NON-DOCUMENTED VESSELS ONLY. Title & register boat in VA (and pay sales tax).

2) For DOCUMENTED VESSELS ONLY. Only register the boat in VA (and pay sales taxes).

2) For DOCUMENTED VESSELS ONLY. Do NOT register the boat in VA only pay sales taxes.

I did the third one. My boat is documented with USCG and has required marking (vessel name & home port). I have no need for a VA sticker cluttering my hull.

[DoubleD]

Originally Posted by ChrisPuget

Hi all --- I have always had both a state title for my sailboat and a Coast Guard Documentation. I would be interested to know if others have this same situation.

I am also in Washington, with a USCG Documented vessel. If the boat is a valid USGC Documented vessel, then only WA State registration is required.

In addition to the USCG documentation, I have a WA State Registration Certificate. For the state registration, I only have the annual sticker to display near the bow.

Do you have registration numbers also displayed near your bow, in addition to the annual sticker, such as: WN1234AB, in addition to a WA State Title? If so one of the titles is not valid. Which one? I'm not sure.

DD

[capt jgw]

One of my prior boats was Michigan titled and USCG documented at the same time. It was that way when I bought it (private sale from the original owner, no broker) and I didn't know that was a problem till I sold it through a broker. The broker fixed the problem but I don't know what he did. My assumption on how it got double registered is the original owner state titled when he bought it then sometime later had it documented and didn't know to cancel the title. Anyway I owned that boat for 14 years and it was never a problem for me, only an extra step for the broker. I'd bet they get that situation often.

[Captain Puget]

It’s a state tax, pure and simple.

You don’t “register” a boat in a state if it is “documented” … but you have to buy a tax stamp from the state and put it on it he boat (the same cost as if you registered it with the state). No benefit to you, just a tax.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Captain Puget

It’s a state tax, pure and simple.

You don’t “register” a boat in a state if it is “documented” … but you have to buy a tax stamp from the state and put it on it he boat (the same cost as if you registered it with the state). No benefit to you, just a tax.

Depending on the state you may not have to put the sticker on your boat if it is documented. Regardless though you still have to pay the tax. In VA the sticker is registration and thus optional for documented vessels so you can avoid that but you can't avoid the tax man.

Personally I opted to pay the tax without registration simply because I prefer to not ugly up the boat with extra sticker. Same reason for documentation not uglying it up with mandatory state block registration numbers. It does avoid the registration cost too but that is minimal (like $50 for 3 years in VA).

Some states however do require documented vessels be registered. It isn't optional like in VA so check with your state.

Regardless though registration/taxes and titling though aren't the same thing. If the OP is actually titled in a state and USCG documented at the same time that is wrong. One or the other should be voided.

[Captain Puget]

Correct- but most states (not all) that require a Tax stamp are the ones on the coasts with good cruising areas.

One interesting side case is Oregon … no tax, but not a lot of coastal cruising areas, and if you keep the boat on the Columbia river Washington wants 50% of their state tax because they assume you will cross the line half the time!