A Certificate of Inspection (COI) is a document issued by the local U.S. Coast Guard  (OCMI - Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection), which sets up the operational parameters for  your vessel. It will list the waters that the vessels is authorized to serve on, the number of  licensed or ‘unlicensed’ personnel are needed to operate the vessel, the required amount and  type of fire prevention and safety equipment that is to be operational when operating. The  COI is valid for a period of 5-years, but requires annual inspection(s) by the U.S. Coast Guard  to verify continued compliance.