Editor’s note: For the latest information regarding recreational vessels and multi-year renewals, check out this blog post from Dec. 21, 2018.

The National Vessel Documentation Center issued a bulletin Dec. 14, 2018, regarding recreational vessel Certificates of Documentation (COD) and the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, which was signed into law Dec. 4, 2018.

The 2018 Act includes a provision to provide recreational COD holders the ability to select a multi-year renewal (1-5 years) during an implementation period that runs from Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2021, after which a five-year document, for recreational vessels only, will become automatic.

Implementation of this provision will require an update to NVDC’s automated systems in order to accommodate multi-year renewals. Additionally, the Coast Guard is evaluating what revisions to existing regulations may be needed to incorporate the provisions of the Act.

Recreational vessel owners should continue to follow the current process for requesting/renewing CODs.

Updates will be posted to NVDC’s website  under ‘Latest News’ at the top of the home page. To subscribe to automated messages from NVDC, select the “Subscribe to NVDC Information” link from the left hand menu. Updates will also be shared through Maritime Commons.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.