To renew your Coast Guard vessel documentation with Form CG-1280, submit the one-page application through the National Vessel Documentation Center’s eStorefront at nvdc-estorefront.uscg.mil, pay $26 for each year of the renewal term, and certify that nothing on your current Certificate of Documentation has changed. The form works only when your vessel’s name, ownership, dimensions, tonnage, hailing port, and endorsements are all still accurate. If any of those have changed, the CG-1280 is not the right form and you need to contact the NVDC.
Is CG-1280 the Right Form for You
CG-1280 is a renewal form and nothing more. Signing it means declaring, under penalty of law, that every piece of information on your current certificate and its endorsements remains accurate and that the certificate has not been lost, mutilated, or wrongfully withheld.1eCFR. 46 CFR 67.163 – Renewal of Endorsement If you cannot honestly make that certification, the form itself instructs you to contact the NVDC for a different application.2United States Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Renewal Notification Application for Renewal
The term you can select depends on the endorsement. Commercial endorsements renew for one year only. Recreational endorsements renew for one to five years at the owner’s choice. A vessel that carries both a recreational and a commercial endorsement falls under the one-year rule.3eCFR. 46 CFR 67.163 – Renewal of Endorsement
Filling Out the Form
You can download a fillable PDF from the NVDC’s Instructions and Forms page, or use the pre-printed renewal notice the NVDC mails to owners before expiration.4National Vessel Documentation Center. National Vessel Documentation Center – Instructions and Forms The form is short, but the NVDC matches every entry against its records, so small errors cause delays.
Vessel Name and Official Number
Copy the vessel name and Official Number directly from the face of your current Certificate of Documentation. Those two fields are how the NVDC locates your record, and even a spelling variation can derail processing.2United States Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Renewal Notification Application for Renewal
Owner Information
Enter your full legal name and current mailing address. If your address has changed, use the section provided on the form to record the update. Only the managing owner can authorize an address change, and under 46 CFR 67.113(e) the managing owner must notify the NVDC within 10 days of any change.5United States Coast Guard. Frequently Asked Questions – General Information Updating your address on the renewal form satisfies that requirement.
Signature and Capacity
Sign, date, and state your capacity. An individual owner signs as “owner.” For a corporation, LLC, or partnership, the person signing states their title within the organization. When multiple individuals own the vessel, the designated managing owner signs.
How Much It Costs
The fee is $26 per year, set by 46 CFR 67.550.6eCFR. 46 CFR 67.550 – Fee Table The full amount for your selected term is due at submission, not billed annually.7United States Coast Guard. National Vessel Documentation Center Table of Fees
- Commercial vessel, one year: $26
- Recreational vessel, one year: $26
- Recreational vessel, two years: $52
- Recreational vessel, three years: $78
- Recreational vessel, four years: $104
- Recreational vessel, five years: $130
How to Submit
As of October 1, 2025, the NVDC operates on an all-electronic payment system. It no longer accepts checks, cash, or money orders, and it no longer processes credit card transactions directly in the office.8United States Coast Guard. Notice of NVDC Change of Services
eStorefront
The eStorefront at nvdc-estorefront.uscg.mil is the primary submission portal. You complete the renewal, pay by credit card or ACH transfer, and receive electronic confirmation in a single session.8United States Coast Guard. Notice of NVDC Change of Services This is the fastest route through the queue and the method the NVDC actively encourages.
You can email the completed fillable PDF to nvdc.pdf.filing@uscg.mil.9U.S. Coast Guard. Third Party Awareness Payment still has to go through the eStorefront, or through the NVDC’s credit card authorization form (CG-7042), because paper-based payments are no longer accepted.
Paper mail still works, sent to the address on the form:
National Vessel Documentation Center
PO Box 1119
Falling Waters, WV 25419-11192United States Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Renewal Notification Application for Renewal
You will still need to arrange electronic payment separately, either by including a CG-7042 credit card authorization with the mailing or paying through the eStorefront. It is slower than filing online, but it remains an option.
When to File
File within 60 days of your certificate’s expiration date. Renewals submitted more than 60 days early get a new issue month and a new expiration month, which effectively shortens the term you paid for.10United States Coast Guard. Certificate of Documentation Application for Renewal
If you miss the expiration date, you have a 30-day late window. Renewals received in that window carry a $5 surcharge on top of the normal fee, so a one-year commercial renewal costs $31 instead of $26.7United States Coast Guard. National Vessel Documentation Center Table of Fees After 30 days, the certificate is treated as expired and CG-1280 is no longer available.10United States Coast Guard. Certificate of Documentation Application for Renewal
What Happens After You Submit
The NVDC publishes a Case Processing Report on its homepage showing which submission dates are currently being worked, and processing times vary with workload.11National Vessel Documentation Center. National Vessel Documentation Center Once your renewal is processed, the NVDC mails the new physical Certificate of Documentation via the U.S. Postal Service to the address on file. It must be kept aboard the vessel at all times. Compare the details against your records before destroying the old certificate.
While you wait, keep your submission receipt or eStorefront confirmation aboard. It demonstrates a good-faith effort to maintain current documentation if you are boarded during the processing gap.
If Your Certificate Has Been Expired More Than 30 Days
Once you are past the 30-day late window, CG-1280 is off the table. Reinstatement runs through Form CG-1258, the Application for Initial Issue, Exchange, or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation, submitted through the eStorefront.4National Vessel Documentation Center. National Vessel Documentation Center – Instructions and Forms The reinstatement fee is $84 for a recreational vessel, with an additional $26 per year for a multi-year term.7United States Coast Guard. National Vessel Documentation Center Table of Fees During the period the certificate is expired, the vessel is considered undocumented, which means it cannot legally engage in coastwise trade, the fisheries, or other endorsement-specific activities, and any preferred ship mortgage loses its priority status.
When a Renewal Can Be Denied
The NVDC can deny your renewal if you have an outstanding civil penalty assessed by the Coast Guard.1eCFR. 46 CFR 67.163 – Renewal of Endorsement Clear any unresolved enforcement actions before submitting the CG-1280. Fees on denied applications are not refunded as a matter of course, so it is safer to resolve penalties first than to submit and hope.