The Divorce Decree Says the Boat Is Mine. Why Do I Still Need My Ex to Sign?

A customer will tell me:

“The judge awarded me the boat. The Divorce Decree says it's mine.”

That may be true, but the USCG National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) can be very particular about what it will accept to transfer documented ownership.

The Problem

If both spouses are listed as owners of a USCG documented vessel, the Divorce Decree needs to be extremely specific about the vessel being awarded.

For the NVDC, simply stating the year, make, model, or vessel name may not be enough. “2019 Sea Ray 350” sounds specific to a normal human. It isn’t specific enough for the NVDC.

The court order should identify the vessel by its unique identifier:

• Hull Identification Number (HIN), or
• USCG Official Number

It should also clearly state that ownership of that specifically identified vessel is transferred to the named spouse by the court’s order, with no additional signature or action required from the other spouse.

If the Decree doesn't do that, we're left submitting it to the NVDC for review and interpretation. If they don't consider the language sufficient to transfer ownership, we will still need the other spouse to sign the appropriate transfer documents.

I've seen a Divorce Decree written that specifically once in more than 20 years. ⚓📄

So yes, your divorce may be final.

Unfortunately, your relationship with the boat paperwork might not be.

Related reading: when a vessel owner has passed away and what a USCG Abstract of Title shows.