§ 187.325 Duties and operation of office.

(a) The office must retain the evidence used to establish the accuracy of the information in its files relating to the current ownership of a vessel and the information on the certificate of title.

(b) The office must retain in its files all information regarding a security interest in a vessel for at least 10 years after the office receives a termination statement regarding the security interest. The information must be accessible by the hull identification number (HIN) for the vessel and any other methods provided by the office.

(c) If a person submits a record to the office, or submits information that is accepted by the office, and requests an acknowledgment of the filing or submission, the office must send to the person an acknowledgment showing the HIN of the vessel to which the record or submission relates, the information in the filed record or submission, and the date and time the record was received or the submission accepted. A request under this section must contain the HIN and be delivered by means authorized by the office.

(d) The office must send or otherwise make available in a record the following information to any person that requests it and pays the applicable fee:

(1) Whether the files of the office indicate, as of a date and time specified by the office, but not a date earlier than 3 days before the office received the request, any certificate of title, security interest, termination statement, or title brand that relates to a vessel—

(i) Identified by a HIN designated in the request;

(ii) Identified by a vessel number designated in the request; or

(iii) Owned by a person designated in the request.

(2) With respect to the vessel—

(i) The name and address of any owner as indicated in the files of the office or on the certificate of title;

(ii) The name and address of any secured party as indicated in the files of the office or on the certificate, and the effective date of the information; and

(iii) A copy of any termination statement indicated in the files of the office and the effective date of the termination statement.

(3) With respect to the vessel, a copy of any certificate of origin, secured party transfer statement, transfer-by-law statement under § 187.320, and other evidence of previous or current transfers of ownership.

(e) In responding to a request under this section, the office may provide the requested information in any medium. On request, the office must send the requested information in a record that is in keeping with State rules of evidence.