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The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register proposed changes to its regulations for certifying a State’s titling system for undocumented vessels to increase States’ participation in the Vessel Identification System (VIS).

The proposed changes would allow States that have adopted the recommendations of the model Uniform Certificate of Title Act for Vessels to certify their titling provisions with the Coast Guard. Once certified and participating in the VIS, a State is able to confer preferred mortgage status on financial instruments that apply to undocumented vessels, which benefits the owners of those vessels. While many of the proposed changes to the certification guidelines relate to the technical requirements of recording and maintaining titling documentation, the most significant change would be to implement a system of “branding” (permanently marking) titles for vessels that have sustained structural damage. This would help prevent a process known as “title washing,” where severe vessel damage is concealed by transferring the title to a different State.

Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before November 22, 2021. Comments sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on collection of information must reach OMB on or before November 22, 2021.

You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2018-0160 using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. 

For information about this document call or email W. Vann Burgess, Boating Safety Division, Program Management and Operations Branch (CG-BSX-21), Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1071, email william.v.burgess@uscg.mil.

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 publications, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These publications remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.