Southeast Permits Office Accepting Expired or Un-Issued Certificates of Documentation on Permit Applications

Renewal of Vessel Permit

Applications with expired U.S. Coast Guard Certificates of Documentation, with evidence that you have applied to renew your COD.

To apply for your annual permit renewal:

1. Submit the vessel renewal application through the Southeast Region Online Permitting System
2. Upload the expired COD along with evidence you have applied to renew your COD

NOTE: When uploading your documents, the system will ask you to enter the expiration date of the COD and will not accept an expiration date in the past; you must enter the expiration date as today or a date in the future.

Transfer of Permits Among Vessels

or

Change in Vessel Name Only

We will accept expired CODs for fishing vessels that are:

• Transferring permits between vessels under the same ownership; or

• Requesting a change in vessel name only

Applicants must provide a copy of their most recent COD and a copy of the vessel's COD renewal application submitted to the National Vessel Documentation Center.

Change in Vessel Ownership

For vessels changing ownership, an application will be considered complete if you provide all of the following:

• A copy of the seller's current or most recent COD
• A copy of the buyer's application for a COD
• A bill of sale signed by both the buyer and the seller

New Vessel Permit Applications

Until the lapse in appropriations is resolved, SERO is unable to approve applications for vessels that have never been issued a COD.

Even if an applicant provides proof of submission of an initial COD application to the National Vessel Documentation Center, along with a Builder's Certificate or State Title, permits cannot be issued until a valid COD has been issued by the Coast Guard and received by the Southeast Regional Office.