A Guide on USCG COD Renewal for Commercial Vessels

Are you considering turning your passion for fishing into a rewarding and lucrative career? Commercial fishing, though often a physically taxing profession, can allow you to earn your livelihood doing what you love. Before you can cast your lines and start selling your catch, however, there are some practical matters that you will need to address. One of your first orders of business should be to take care of any necessary paperwork for operating your commercial fishing enterprise. One such matter you may need to sort out is navigating a USCG COD renewal.

Your Certificate of Documentation from the United States Coast Guard is a fundamental document to your business. Coupled with the correct commercial fishing permits, this form is absolutely necessary to keep on-board your vessel. Read on to learn more about the renewal process, as well as how we can help you complete yours online.

Gathering the Correct Information for a USCG COD Renewal

Before you get started on a renewal, it may be helpful to understand just what a United States Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation is. This document represents your vessel’s registration with the Coast Guard. While this is similar to a registration held with your state, the key difference with your COD is that it occurs at a federal level.

Since this piece of documentation establishes ownership of your vessel, it is helpful to have. A recreational boat with a net weight greater than five tons has the option to seek documentation, but for a commercial vessel, this is mandatory.

Completing your renewal application will require you to provide some basic information about yourself and your vessel to the United States Coast Guard. You will receive a notification 45 days prior to your current registration’s expiration date. You can complete your renewal form by hand and mail it to the appropriate government agency, or you can submit it online by working with a private service such as ours at the Commercial Fishing Permits Center. 

The Importance of the United States Coast Guard

Operating your commercial vessel on federal waters comes with much responsibility. As such, the United States Coast Guard prefers to remain informed of what activity is occurring on U.S. waterways and ports. This bit of recordkeeping that occurs with issuing certificates of documentation can prove essential to our nation’s security. 

As one of the central missions of the Coast Guard is maritime law enforcement, it stands to reason that commercial boating activity would fall within their purview. The penalties for operating your vessel without the correct USCG documentation can be severe, so it is prudent to ensure that your renewal documents are submitted in a prompt manner.

Get Your Commercial Fishing Permits Online

One effective way to ensure that your USCG COD does not lapse is to process your renewal online. At the Commercial Fishing Permits Center, we offer an easy-to-fill web form that greatly streamlines this process. If you take a moment to browse our site’s navigation, you will also see that we offer commercial fishing licenses and permits for all major U.S. regions. To learn more, contact us by email today.