67.167 – Requirement for Exchange of Certificate of Documentation

(a) When application for exchange of the Certificate of Documentation is required upon the occurrence of one or more of the events described in paragraphs (b), (c), or (d) of this section, or the owner of the vessel chooses to apply for exchange of the Certificate pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section, the owner must send or deliver the Certificate to the National Vessel Documentation Center, and apply for an exchange of the Certificate in accordance with subpart K of this part.

(b) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in §67.161, when:
(1) The ownership of the vessel changes in whole or in part;
(2) The general partners of a partnership change by addition, deletion, or substitution;
(3) The State of incorporation of any corporate owner of the vessel changes;
(4) The name of the vessel changes;
(5) The hailing port of the vessel changes; or
(6) The vessel is placed under the command of a person who is not a citizen of the United States.

(c) A Certificate of Documentation together with any endorsement(s) thereon becomes invalid immediately, except as provided in §67.161 and in paragraph (f) of this section, if the vessel is not a sea, or upon the vessel’s next arrival in port anywhere in the world if the vessel is at sea, when:
(1) The gross or net tonnages or dimensions of the vessel change;
(2) Any beneficiary with an enforceable interest in a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition or substitution;
(3) The trustee of a trust arrangement owning a vessel changes by addition, substitution, or deletion;
(4) A tenant by the entirety owning any part of the vessel dies;
(5) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by addition or substitution;
(6) The legal name of any owner of the vessel changes;
(7) A self-propelled vessel becomes non-self-propelled or a non-self-propelled vessel becomes self-propelled;
(8) The endorsements for the vessel change by addition, deletion, or substitution;
(9) A substantive or clerical error made by the issuing documentation officer is discovered; and
(10) For a vessel with a coastwise endorsement under 46 U.S.C. 12106(e), one of the events in §68.80 or §68.111 of this chapter occurs.

(d) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsements thereon remain valid, the owner of a documented vessel must apply for exchange of the Certificate upon an election to designate a new managing owner of the vessel in accordance with §67.113.

(e) Although a Certificate of Documentation and any endorsement(s) thereon remain valid, the owner may apply for exchange of the Certificate if:
(1) The restrictions imposed on the vessel change by deletion; or
(2) The vessel attains a special entitlement under subpart J of this part.

(f) A Certificate of Documentation which becomes invalid pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section remains valid for the purposes of filing a new mortgage or amendment, assignment, assumption, or subordination agreement for 30 days after the date it would otherwise have become invalid.

[CGD 89–007, CGD 89–007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95–014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG–2001–8825, 69 FR 5401, Feb. 4, 2004; USCG–2005–20258, 71 FR 61418, Oct. 18, 2006]