USCG Form CG-1258 is the application you file with the National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) to obtain, exchange, replace, reinstate, or return a vessel to a federal Certificate of Documentation. One form covers five distinct transactions, and the fee and supporting paperwork depend on which one you check. You can file it online through the NVDC eStorefront or submit it by mail.
The Five Transactions CG-1258 Covers
Section I of the form lists five purposes, and you check exactly one:
- Initial Certificate of Documentation, if the vessel has never been federally documented.
- Exchange, when an existing certificate needs to reflect a change such as new ownership, a new endorsement, a name change, or a new hailing port.
- Replacement, when the current certificate is lost, destroyed, or wrongfully withheld.
- Reinstatement, when a certificate expired and more than 30 days have passed.
- Return to Documentation, when a previously deleted vessel is being brought back into the federal registry.
Choosing the correct purpose at the outset matters. Each carries a different fee and calls for different attachments, and the NVDC returns applications that arrive with the wrong fee or missing paperwork rather than holding them for correction.
Does Your Vessel Qualify
Federal documentation is available only for vessels of at least five net tons that are wholly owned by a U.S. citizen and not documented under the laws of a foreign country.
Citizenship is defined by owner type. An individual U.S. citizen qualifies automatically. A partnership qualifies if every general partner is a citizen and citizens hold the controlling interest. A corporation qualifies if it is incorporated under U.S. or state law, its CEO and chairman of the board are citizens, and no more than a minority of the directors needed for a quorum are noncitizens. For a coastwise or fishery endorsement, a corporation must also have at least 75 percent of its stock owned by citizens.
Documentation is mandatory for vessels of five net tons or more operating in coastwise trade or commercial fishing. Recreational owners may document voluntarily. Many do, because a documented vessel can record a Preferred Ship Mortgage with the Coast Guard, which lenders often require for boat financing, and the federal documentation number simplifies clearing customs on international trips.
Supporting Documents to Attach
CG-1258 rarely travels alone. Depending on the transaction, you may need to include:
- A Builder’s Certificate (Form CG-1261) for initial documentation. A coastwise endorsement requires evidence the vessel was built in the United States, and the builder’s certificate is how you show it.
- A bill of sale to establish the chain of title if you bought the vessel from a prior owner. Filing and recording a bill of sale is $8 per page.
- Evidence of citizenship. Individuals typically satisfy this with a Social Security Number. Corporations, partnerships, and other entities may need organizational documents showing the citizenship of members, partners, officers, and directors.
- A deletion certificate from any foreign registry the vessel was previously flagged under.
- Mortgagee consent, if the vessel carries an outstanding Preferred Ship Mortgage and you are requesting an exchange. This consent carries a separate $24 fee.
The NVDC’s Instructions and Forms page posts every form as a fillable PDF, and the eStorefront prompts you to upload attachments during the application.
Filling Out the Form
Purpose and Vessel Identification
Check the box in Section I that matches your transaction. Then enter the Hull Identification Number exactly as the manufacturer assigned it under 33 CFR Part 181. If the vessel was previously documented, enter its official number, which is the number the Coast Guard assigned when the vessel first entered the federal system. Leave the official number blank only for initial applications.
Vessel Name and Hailing Port
Choose a name using letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The name cannot be identical or phonetically identical to any word used to solicit assistance at sea, such as “Mayday,” and it cannot contain obscene, profane, or racially offensive language. The field limits you to 33 characters. Enter it exactly as you want it to appear on the vessel and on official records.
The hailing port is a place name and state within the United States. It is what appears on the stern (or elsewhere on the hull for recreational vessels). It does not have to be where the vessel is actually kept.
Ownership Information
List the managing owner first. This is the person or entity the Coast Guard will contact about the vessel. Provide legal name, email address, phone number, and Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number. The SSN or TIN is mandatory; applications missing it are returned.
Then list every other person or entity with an ownership interest, along with their SSN or TIN. For most ownership structures, show the percentage each party holds. Joint ventures and associations are handled differently: list all members, but you do not have to show the percentage held by each.
Check the citizenship boxes that apply to each owner. The Coast Guard uses these to verify the vessel meets the ownership requirements for the endorsement you request.
Dimensions and Tonnage
Enter length, breadth, and depth. These help the Coast Guard verify the five-net-ton minimum. For most production boats, the manufacturer’s paperwork will include the net tonnage figure. If you are unsure, the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Center can perform a measurement.
Endorsement
Pick the endorsement that matches how you intend to use the vessel. The choice controls what the vessel can legally do:
- Coastwise allows transporting passengers or cargo between U.S. ports. The vessel must have been built in the United States.
- Fishery permits commercial fishing in U.S. waters, including the Exclusive Economic Zone.
- Registry authorizes foreign trade, meaning goods or passengers between U.S. and foreign ports.
- Recreation limits the vessel to non-commercial recreational use.
You can request multiple trade endorsements on the same application. When you do, the NVDC charges only the single highest endorsement fee. The maximum endorsement fee on any one application is $29.
What It Costs
All fees are non-refundable. The current schedule, revised September 2025, is:
- Initial Certificate of Documentation: $133.
- Exchange of Certificate: $84.
- Return to Documentation: $84.
- Replacement of a lost or mutilated certificate: $50.
- Reinstatement: the renewal fee plus applicable late fees.
Trade endorsement fees are added on top of the application fee: $29 for coastwise, $12 for fishery, and no additional charge for registry or recreational. Filing a bill of sale is $8 per page. Recording a mortgage is $4 per page. A certified copy of a Certificate of Documentation is $4.
Pay by credit card through the eStorefront, or by check or money order payable to “U.S. Coast Guard” if you file by mail. Credit card payments submitted by mail or email require the separate Form CG-7042 authorization. Applications received without the correct fee are returned unprocessed.
How to Submit
The fastest route is the NVDC eStorefront at nvdc-estorefront.uscg.mil. The portal walks you through the application, accepts document uploads, and takes credit card payment in a single session. It also handles renewals, abstracts of title, mortgage filings, and deletion requests.
If you prefer paper, download the current CG-1258 from the NVDC’s Instructions and Forms page, complete it, and mail it with your supporting documents and payment to the National Vessel Documentation Center. The NVDC also accepts submissions by email at NVDC.W.WEBMASTER@USCG.MIL for services not available online. For questions about which method fits your situation, the NVDC phone lines are (800) 799-8362 and (304) 271-2400.
After You File
The NVDC publishes a Case Processing Report showing current turnaround times, which fluctuate with workload. Standard requests can take several weeks to a few months. Check the report before you submit so you know what to expect. Applications with missing information, incorrect fees, or incomplete supporting documents take longer because the NVDC returns them rather than holding them.
Once approved, the NVDC mails you the Certificate of Documentation. Federal law requires you to carry it on board the vessel at all times. Review it as soon as it arrives. Verify the vessel name, hailing port, official number, endorsements, and ownership details. Errors caught early are far easier to fix than ones discovered during a boarding or port-state inspection.
Renewals Use a Different Form
CG-1258 is not the renewal form. Renewals go on Form CG-1280 and cost $26 per year. Commercial endorsements renew annually; recreational endorsements can be renewed for one to five years at the owner’s choice. Submit no earlier than 60 days before expiration to keep the same expiration month. A renewal filed within 30 days after expiration is processed normally with a $5 late fee added. More than 30 days late, the certificate can no longer be renewed and you have to apply for reinstatement through CG-1258 instead, which takes longer and costs more.