Federal Registration (CG) and FCC MMSI Number

[CarrieIF]

Hi -
New here and hew to boating with our first boat - R29S named IF that we got in late June.

Because IF is in Puget Sound and we love the PNW / Canada / Alaska areas, we want IF to be able to legally travel to foreign ports (Canada). This means registering IF federally, not in state (Washington or any other state) and, since we have AIS transmit, getting our MMSI number from the FCC, not BoatUS. Here is info about registering from BoatUS - https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/boat/registration/
And here, also from BoatUS, is info about when you can get the MMSI through them and when you have to go through the FCC https://www.boatus.com/MMSI/MMSI/Home

I have not found a comprehensive guide on how to register your new boat federally and obtain the MMSI from the FCC, so I thought I would share the steps I took here on this forum in case any new owners want to do the same:
1) When we bought the boat from Ranger, we told Alexis that we were going to do the federal registration. She let Vanness know and Vanness filed the federal registration paperwork with the coast guard.
2) It took about a month to get the official number. I texted Callie Vanness and she gave it to me.
3) With the federal "official number," I could then file with the FCC for the MMSI. What you are really doing is registering your boat radio as a Ship Radio Station voluntary (SA) for which the FCC will issue both a call sign and an MMSI number. This requires form 605 and Schedule B (you can file online and it asks you all the appropriate questions). There are a number of steps here.
3a) To do anything with the FCC, you (an individual or corporate entity) need and FRN (Federal Registration Number). If you are multiple individuals (a couple like we are), only one person needs the FRN, and that will be the person who the MMSI is associated with. Here is the FCC's page with how to get your FRN - https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/kn ... gistration
3b) Once you have your FRN, you can login to the FCCs Universal Licensing System (ULS) at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/universal-licensing-system Under Filing, click File Online.
3C) You will need your FRN and password (that you created when you registered for the FRN) to login to the ULS.
3D) Once you login, you can select Apply for a New License (in the menu on the left side).
3E) On the Select Service screen , scroll to and select SA or SB-Ship
3F) Then you start answering the questions that are on Form 605 and Schedule B. If you want to prep your answers, you can get those forms here https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/kn ... c-form-605
3G) Complete and submit the SA online registration.
3H) They you need to go pay for the SA, which is $135 (as of July 2023), which you do in the FCC Cores system here https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do. (note to login to CORES it is with your FRN although the CORES website wants username, not FRN nmuber for login (username is your email address). The password is the same for both the ULS and CORES, it is just that CORES uses your email username and ULS uses your FRN nmuber instead of your username. Login to CORES and choose the second choice " Manage Existing FRNs | FRN Financial | Bills and Fees" then pay the SA fee.
4) You also need to have at least one person on the boat to have a Restricted Radiotelophone Operator License (RR). The RR is for life and requires for 605 and Schedule E. It is $35 as of July 2023. So go back into the ULS and select New license, but this time choose RR and go though answering those questions and submitting, then go to the CORES webiste and pay for the RR.
5) Now when you go into the FCC License Manager, you will see your pending applications. I submitted on Sunday evening, the status changed from Pending to Under Review on Monday morning and we had the MMSI and Call Sign before end of day on Monday. I did have to look in the FCC License manger to get this info; they did not email it to me.
6) Once you get the MMSI number, there are two places you need to enter it: Your radio and your AIS transmitter. For our 2023 R29S, is it the iCom radio and it asks for the MMSI everytime you turn it on, so just follow the prompts (make sure you enter the number correctly as that number is permanent and you will need Ranger to reset if you get it wrong). For our AIS transmit, you can see this from the door in the head that leads to all the fuses and things. The AIS transmitter will have a yellow light until you enter the MMSI (and it wil turn green). There is an APP for the AIS transmitter (XB-8000) called WatchMate. Install that app then you need to be at the boat and connect to the XB-8000's WiFi and you will be able to ener the MMSI. You need to put the MMSI into both the radio and the AIS transmitter to actually be transmitting your MMSI number to the AIS system.

A couple of notes:
- For federal registration, you do NOT paint the numbers on the side of the boat. So if you are having the name painted, you will not have them paint numbers. The federal registration number must be displayed inside the boat (most people put it in the engine compartment or somewhere like that. We ordered a plaque with the federal registration number and will glue it inside the boat. You will need to show it to the Coast Guard if they inspect and ask.
-The federal registration is for 1 year and you need to renew before it expires. There are ways to file for multiple years, but you can't do that online yet, so Vanness files for one year.
-With federal registration, you still need a state yearly decal and that needs to be displayed. Alexis did this registration and got us the sticker for WA state for both our R29S and our Dinghy.
-The coast guard has the National Vessel Documentation Center website, which has a lot of information (some confusing) at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organizati ... on-Center/
-The FCC has detailed information about Ship Radio Stations / MMSI / Licensing, etc at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-div ... o-stations
-Technically, only an individual with an RR can initiate speaking on the ship's radio and then someone else on your boat can talk. I cannot imagine that this would be an issue in am emergency, but for a onetime $35 fee, both of us got our RR licenses (so my partner needed their own FRN to do this).


Hope this helps.

-Carrie

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bumping post delayed in moderation queue.

 

[watson1987]

I have a federally-minted MMSI number, for the reason you call out that I wanted to be 'legal' when using my radio and transmitting AIS while in Canada.

Having USCG documentation isn't explicitly required for either an FCC station license or entering Canada. As long as you are registered in your home state, that is good enough for them. I was a Canadian citizen living in the US with a green card when I purchased my boat and couldn't get USCG documentation.

The rest is good information. Getting the station license and all the other necessary steps was not obvious. I'll probably forget it all when I need to renew in 10 years.

 

[American Flyer]

Great info, I went through it all last fall.

A few additions to your notes.

Not only is the -federal- registration number not to be displayed on the outside of the vessel, it is illegal to display the -state- registration number on the exterior of a documented vessel.

The registered name and home port must be displayed as per federal regulations that stipulate size and location(s).

I see a lot of violations of both these regulations. But of course if the vessel is not documented you can paint anything you want on your boat (name, etc.), any way you want, as long as you have the state registration number displayed correctly.

One more item, in Washington State, if your dingy is ONLY used to service the mother ship, it does not need a separate registration number or fee. Simply use the state number with the number 1 added at the end. See state regulations for details.

 

[glider4]

When we purchased Our Journey (C-28) last November from a Canadian seller, the lender required the boat to have USCG documentation. We went with the 5 year duration rather than annual renewal. The 5 year fee was $130.
Personally I’m really glad to not go through that documentation process annually. Every 5 years is often enough!
Also, in Oregon, our dinghy must be registered with the state separately from the C-28. It has its own state registration number and decal. Each state may have different requirements.
For our C-28 we did the typical display of the vessel name on each side of the boat and both name + hailing port displayed on the stern.
We were boarded by the USCG for a “random” inspection this July near Lummi Island as we returned from Canada. Half the USCG crew carried M-16’s and the rest (except for the two photographers) carried sidearms. They just wanted to see ALL our paperwork including radio station license and FCC issued MMSI docs and WA state boater education card. I keep it all in one folder (including the insurance policy) which made it easy to provide. No measuring boat name letter height or even inspecting our documentation number in the bilge. No looking for a hidden bottle of wine or undeclared stash of cash. It was all about the paperwork. We did get a fun USCG Station Bellingham decal that we put on our port side window out of our interaction. Your experience might be different!

 

[Todd_D]

Annual renewal of USCG documentation is easy. It takes about 5 minutes max and can be done on line. Basically, each year about 45-60 days before your documentation expires you will get a notice in the mail from the National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC). All you do is follow the instructions to renew on line, which as I said takes five minutes or less. You can also mail them a check for $26. However, I have found that renewing on line results in the new certificate of documentation arriving within about a week to 10 days. As I recall, it was possible to renew for longer than one year on line. The down side of that is I don't think you will get any money back if your renew for five years and then sell the boat after say two years.

One thing to be aware of is that at about the same time as the official notice from the NVDC comes you will get a number of "notices" from private companies offering to renew your documentation for you for say $50 or so. The companies work hard to make their "notices" look like the real NVDC notice. Ignore them.

 

[CarrieIF]

One thing to be aware of is that at about the same time as the official notice from the NVDC comes you will get a number of "notices" from private companies offering to renew your documentation for you for say $50 or so. The companies work hard to make their "notices" look like the real NVDC notice. Ignore them.

They do that with patents and other business documentation too and it just sucks to have scammers like that playing on people being afraid of doing government documentation wrong. It looked like renewal at the USCG and FCC were both very easy.

-Carrie

 

[marksandyham]

I renew my CG documented registration every three years so that is expires the same year as my state registration

 

[jayslu]

Thank you, Carrie. This was very helpful.

-Jay

 

[Bob&Jilly]

Hi -
New here and hew to boating with our first boat - R29S named IF that we got in late June.

Because IF is in Puget Sound and we love the PNW / Canada / Alaska areas, we want IF to be able to legally travel to foreign ports (Canada). This means registering IF federally, not in state (Washington or any other state) and, since we have AIS transmit, getting our MMSI number from the FCC, not BoatUS. Here is info about registering from BoatUS - https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/boat/registration/
And here, also from BoatUS, is info about when you can get the MMSI through them and when you have to go through the FCC https://www.boatus.com/MMSI/MMSI/Home

I have not found a comprehensive guide on how to register your new boat federally and obtain the MMSI from the FCC, so I thought I would share the steps I took here on this forum in case any new owners want to do the same:
1) When we bought the boat from Ranger, we told Alexis that we were going to do the federal registration. She let Vanness know and Vanness filed the federal registration paperwork with the coast guard.
2) It took about a month to get the official number. I texted Callie Vanness and she gave it to me.
3) With the federal "official number," I could then file with the FCC for the MMSI. What you are really doing is registering your boat radio as a Ship Radio Station voluntary (SA) for which the FCC will issue both a call sign and an MMSI number. This requires form 605 and Schedule B (you can file online and it asks you all the appropriate questions). There are a number of steps here.
3a) To do anything with the FCC, you (an individual or corporate entity) need and FRN (Federal Registration Number). If you are multiple individuals (a couple like we are), only one person needs the FRN, and that will be the person who the MMSI is associated with. Here is the FCC's page with how to get your FRN - https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/kn ... gistration
3b) Once you have your FRN, you can login to the FCCs Universal Licensing System (ULS) at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/universal-licensing-system Under Filing, click File Online.
3C) You will need your FRN and password (that you created when you registered for the FRN) to login to the ULS.
3D) Once you login, you can select Apply for a New License (in the menu on the left side).
3E) On the Select Service screen , scroll to and select SA or SB-Ship
3F) Then you start answering the questions that are on Form 605 and Schedule B. If you want to prep your answers, you can get those forms here https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/kn ... c-form-605
3G) Complete and submit the SA online registration.
3H) They you need to go pay for the SA, which is $135 (as of July 2023), which you do in the FCC Cores system here https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do. (note to login to CORES it is with your FRN although the CORES website wants username, not FRN nmuber for login (username is your email address). The password is the same for both the ULS and CORES, it is just that CORES uses your email username and ULS uses your FRN nmuber instead of your username. Login to CORES and choose the second choice " Manage Existing FRNs | FRN Financial | Bills and Fees" then pay the SA fee.
4) You also need to have at least one person on the boat to have a Restricted Radiotelophone Operator License (RR). The RR is for life and requires for 605 and Schedule E. It is $35 as of July 2023. So go back into the ULS and select New license, but this time choose RR and go though answering those questions and submitting, then go to the CORES webiste and pay for the RR.
5) Now when you go into the FCC License Manager, you will see your pending applications. I submitted on Sunday evening, the status changed from Pending to Under Review on Monday morning and we had the MMSI and Call Sign before end of day on Monday. I did have to look in the FCC License manger to get this info; they did not email it to me.
6) Once you get the MMSI number, there are two places you need to enter it: Your radio and your AIS transmitter. For our 2023 R29S, is it the iCom radio and it asks for the MMSI everytime you turn it on, so just follow the prompts (make sure you enter the number correctly as that number is permanent and you will need Ranger to reset if you get it wrong). For our AIS transmit, you can see this from the door in the head that leads to all the fuses and things. The AIS transmitter will have a yellow light until you enter the MMSI (and it wil turn green). There is an APP for the AIS transmitter (XB-8000) called WatchMate. Install that app then you need to be at the boat and connect to the XB-8000's WiFi and you will be able to ener the MMSI. You need to put the MMSI into both the radio and the AIS transmitter to actually be transmitting your MMSI number to the AIS system.

A couple of notes:
- For federal registration, you do NOT paint the numbers on the side of the boat. So if you are having the name painted, you will not have them paint numbers. The federal registration number must be displayed inside the boat (most people put it in the engine compartment or somewhere like that. We ordered a plaque with the federal registration number and will glue it inside the boat. You will need to show it to the Coast Guard if they inspect and ask.
-The federal registration is for 1 year and you need to renew before it expires. There are ways to file for multiple years, but you can't do that online yet, so Vanness files for one year.
-With federal registration, you still need a state yearly decal and that needs to be displayed. Alexis did this registration and got us the sticker for WA state for both our R29S and our Dinghy.
-The coast guard has the National Vessel Documentation Center website, which has a lot of information (some confusing) at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organizati ... on-Center/
-The FCC has detailed information about Ship Radio Stations / MMSI / Licensing, etc at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-div ... o-stations
-Technically, only an individual with an RR can initiate speaking on the ship's radio and then someone else on your boat can talk. I cannot imagine that this would be an issue in am emergency, but for a onetime $35 fee, both of us got our RR licenses (so my partner needed their own FRN to do this).


Hope this helps.

-Carrie

Hi, I found that if you call the FCC help line a wonderful person will walk you through the entire process and you will receive your MMSI almost immediately as well as your Radio License. You can then download both from the FCC site. Every time I call these folks I am amazed about how helpful they are. My issue is that I cannot figure out how to put my MMSI number in my radio.

Thanks