What is documentation?
US Coast Guard documentation is a federal form of boat registration controlled, monitored, and completed by the United States Coast Guard. When a vessel is registered with the Coast Guard it is given an official document number which remains with the boat, permanently displayed on an interior part of the hull. The issuance of the document number begins the Coast Guard history of the vessel. All future transactions are recorded and appear on the Abstract of Title produced by the Coast Guard.
What are the state requirements for registration and titling?
All states require pleasure boats to be registered and/or titled in order to operate legally in their jurisdiction. Unfortunately, at this time there is no national standardized format or procedure, so requirements and fees vary from state to state. Many states require payment of one-time sales or use tax at the time of registration.