A COFR is a vessel Certificate of Financial Responsibility (Water Pollution) issued by the NPFC to a vessel applicant providing evidence of financial responsibility, in accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) and CERCLA. This evidence is in the form of a guaranty by some third party or the applicant himself (in the case of self-insurance). It assures potential claimants, including the Federal Government, that a responsible party can pay its legal liability up to prescribed limits, in the event of an oil incident or release or threatened release of a hazardous substance.

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COFR Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Is A COFR?	A COFR is a vessel Certificate of Financial Responsibility (Water Pollution) issued by the NPFC to a vessel applicant providing evidence of financial responsibility, in accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) and CERCLA. This evidence is in the form of a guaranty by some third party or the applicant himself (in the case of self-insurance). It assures potential claimants, including the Federal Government, that a responsible party can pay its legal liability up to prescribed limits, in the event of an oil incident or release or threatened release of a hazardous substance. Thirty days following the publication of the Final Rule implementing the new COFR regulations, the Coast Guard will no longer issue paper COFRs for fleets, master COFRs, or vessel COFRs. The Coast Guard will transition to a paperless COFR, which is an electronic record accessible on our website when the COFR is issued. Operators will no longer be required to carry a paper COFR aboard the vessel. COFR validity will be verified electronically.
Do I Need A COFR?	Vessel operators must have a COFR for vessels over 300 gross tons using the navigable waters of the United States. In addition, any vessel, REGARDLESS OF TONNAGE, that is LIGHTERING or TRANSSHIPPING oil in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States, must have a COFR. The only exceptions to this rule are public vessels and non-self propelled barges that do not carry oil as fuel or cargo, and do not carry hazardous substances as cargo. These two types of vessels do not require a COFR.
How Do I Get A COFR?	A COFR can be obtained one of two ways. The easiest is to enroll on our website as a registered user, and apply for a COFR using our online E-COFR program. It's fast, easy, and allows our users to perform a combination of any of the following actions: (1) apply for a NEW COFR, (2) RENEW an existing COFR, (3) apply for a SUPPLEMENTAL COFR, (4) apply for a new COFR when the VESSEL NAME is changed or when the APPLICANT NAME is changed. With our E-COFR program, you can use your credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) to pay your COFR fees immediately via a secure internet page. In addition to using our E-COFR program, you may still obtain a COFR by filling out the application form CG 5585 (available for download on this site) and mailing it to this to this office with applicable fees. Whichever way you choose to apply, remember to arrange for us to receive applicable evidence of financial responsibility directly from your insurer.
What is E-COFR?	E-COFR is the name given to our on-line process that allows applicants to: (1) Apply for new, supplemental, and renewal COFRs (2) Obtain updated COFRs when a vessel name or applicant name is changed (3) Pay for the above transactions over a secure internet connection using a valid VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card. To use E-COFR, you must first ENROLL, and you will receive an enrollment number via e-mail. Once a user is enrolled, that user does not need to re-enroll, even if he/she will be applying on behalf of more than one COFR applicant. HOWEVER, we must receive the ORIGINAL enrollment form (with ORIGINAL signatures) for EACH COFR applicant.
What if I have not received my PIN?	If you have not received an e-mail with a PIN a few minutes after you enroll, please ensure that your SPAM filter or local firewall has not blocked the e-mail automatically generated by our system. If you still have not received a PIN, please contact our office for further assistance.
What Is The COFR Fee?	First time applicants must pay a $200 non-refundable application fee, and a $100 per vessel certification fee (e.g., a first time applicant with one vessel is $300, two vessels is $400, and so on). Additions to existing applications are $100, even if the vessel has not had a COFR before this filing (e.g., if an applicant has five valid COFRs and wants to add a new vessel, the fee is $100). Renewals of valid COFRs are also $100. *** See paying with a Credit Card under E-COFR ***
How Far In Advance Should a renewal Be Requested?	A renewal request should be made at least 21 days and no more than 90 days in advance of the expiration date of the COFR.
A Vessel Is Only Making One Voyage...?	A vessel is only making one voyage to the U.S. and is not scheduled to return. Is a COFR required? Yes.
What is a Supplemental COFR?	A supplemental COFR is a certificate issued to an operator who has other active COFRs. If you have active COFRs please do not choose ?New Application? when using the E-COFR site.
What is the Procedure for Obtaining a Renewal COFR?	The easiest way is renew a currently valid COFR is by using your credit card and our online E-COFR system. Another way to renew a vessel COFR is to send us a letter listing the same information requested on page two of the application (VESSEL NAME, VESSEL TYPE, IMO NUMBER, GROSS TONNAGE, and OWNERSHIP INFORMATION) or simply note whether all vessel particulars remain unchanged and include renewal fees of $100 (per certificate).
What are Hull Types?	For Vessel Types 17 (Tanker), 20 (Oil/bulk/ore carrier), 50 (Tank Barge), or 53 (Drilling Rig), please designate the Hull Type, as defined in 33 CFR 138.220, by using a letter from one of the following categories: S = SINGLE HULL, including a single hull vessel fitted with double sides only or a double bottom only D = DOUBLE HULL
How Do I Get Evidence of a Valid COFR?	Only valid COFRs are listed in the COFR Search Results. Click on the Document Icon to the left of a record to display a COFR Confirmation in Adobe .PDF format. You may print the COFR Confirmation from Adobe.
Does E-COFR use cookies?	E-COFR uses session cookies to maintain state. No personal or tracking information is saved in the cookie values. All cookies are removed when you close your browser.