Boat Record Privacy Restrictions
BoatWiki - Definitions
Definition
Boat record privacy restrictions can be defined as federal, state, and territorial regulations that prohibit the dissemination of boat ownership information. These relate to consumer privacy protection laws and may vary with each jurisdiction.
Meaning
With the onset of consumer privacy issues, most boat records are now restricted to the owner and certain privileged parties. These include law enforcement officials, government agencies, and established institutions as defined by law.
Context
Most states and U.S. territories have now adopted very stringent policies regarding public access to their boat registration databases. Such records are no longer openly available without an owner's written consent unless otherwise privileged. This does not, however, apply to USCG vessel documentation abstracts of title as these are available to anyone willing to pay the required fee.
Conclusion
There are valid reasons for restricting public access to boat registration records. However, this has placed a extra burden on those which have a legitimate interest in obtaining such data. The various rules for each jurisdiction and how to go about obtaining record printouts can be found throughout the pages of BoatWiki.
Please support your fellow boaters by wiki-sharing any comments or experiences regarding this subject.
Credits and References
7/26/2022 - Page initiated by Team BoatWiki.
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