§ 187.311 Maintenance of and access to files.

(a) For each record relating to a certificate of title submitted to the office, the office must— (1) Ascertain or assign the hull identification number (HIN) for the vessel in accordance with 33 CFR part 181; (2) Maintain the HIN and all the information submitted with the application pursuant to § 187.307(b) to which the record relates, including the date and time the record was delivered to the office; (3) Maintain the files for public inspection subject to paragraph (e) of this section; and (4) Index the files of the office as required by paragraph (b) of this section. (b) The office must maintain in its files the information contained in all certificates of title created under this subpart. The information in the files of the office must be searchable by the HIN of the vessel, the vessel number, the name of the owner of record, and any other method used by the office. (c) The office must maintain in its files, for each vessel for which it has created a certificate of title, all title brands known to the office, the name of each secured party known to the office, the name of each person known to the office to be claiming an ownership interest, and all stolen-property reports the office has received. (d) Upon request, for safety, security, or law-enforcement purposes, the office must provide to Federal, State, or local government the information in its files relating to any vessel for which the office has issued a certificate of title. (e) Except as otherwise provided by laws of the titling State, the information required under § 187.309 is a public record, but the information provided under § 187.307(b)(3) is not a public record.