The regulations in this part have preemptive effect over State or local regulations in the same field.

(a) A vessel to which this subchapter applies may not be operated without having on board a valid U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection.

(b) Except as noted in § 176.114 of this part, each vessel inspected and certificated under the provisions of this subchapter must, when any passengers are aboard during the tenure of the certificate, be in full compliance with the terms of the certificate.

(c) If necessary to prevent delay of the vessel, a temporary Certificate of Inspection may be issued pending the issuance and delivery of the regular Certificate of Inspection. The temporary certificate must be carried in the same manner as the regular certificate and is considered the same as the regular Certificate of Inspection that it represents.

(d) A vessel on a foreign voyage between a port in the United States and a port in a foreign country, whose Certificate of Inspection expires during the voyage, may lawfully complete the voyage without a valid Certificate of Inspection provided the voyage is completed within 30 days of expiration and the certificate did not expire within 15 days of sailing on the foreign voyage from a U.S. port.

The Certificate of Inspection issued to a vessel describes the vessel, the route(s) that it may travel, the minimum manning requirements, the survival and rescue craft carried, the minimum fire extinguishing equipment and lifejackets required to be carried, the maximum number of passengers and total persons that may be carried, the number of passengers the vessel may carry in overnight accommodation spaces, the name of the owner and managing operator, any equivalencies accepted or authorized by the Commandant or any Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) in accordance with § 175.540 or § 175.550 of this chapter, and such other conditions of operations as may be determined by the cognizant OCMI.

(a) A Certificate of Inspection is obtained or renewed by making application on Form CG 3752, “Application for Inspection of U.S. Vessel,” to the Coast Guard OCMI of the marine inspection zone in which the inspection is to be made. Form CG-3752 may be obtained at any U.S. Coast Guard Sector Office or Marine Inspection Office.

(b) The application for initial inspection of a vessel being newly constructed or converted must be submitted prior to the start of the construction or conversion.

(c) The construction, arrangement, and equipment of each vessel must be acceptable to the cognizant OCMI as a prerequisite of the issuance of the initial Certificate of Inspection. Acceptance is based on the information, specifications, drawings and calculations available to the OCMI, and on the successful completion of an initial inspection for certification.

(d) A Certificate of Inspection is renewed by the issuance of a new Certification of Inspection.

(e) The condition of the vessel and its equipment must be acceptable to the cognizant OCMI as a prerequisite to the Certificate of Inspection renewal. Acceptance is based on the condition of the vessel as found at the periodic inspection for certification.

(a) A Certificate of Inspection is valid for 1 year for vessels carrying more than 12 passengers on international voyages.

(b) A Certificate of Inspection is valid for 5 years for all other vessels.

(c) A Certificate of Inspection may be suspended and withdrawn or revoked by the cognizant OCMI at any time for noncompliance with the requirements of this subchapter.

(a) The area of operation for each vessel and any necessary operational limits are determined by the cognizant OCMI, and recorded on the vessel's Certificate of Inspection. Each area of operation, referred to as a route, is described on the Certificate of Inspection under the major headings “Oceans,” “Coastwise,” “Limited Coastwise,” “Great Lakes,” “Lakes, Bays, and Sounds,” or “Rivers,” as applicable. Further limitations imposed or extensions granted are described by reference to bodies of waters, geographical points, distance from geographical points, distances from land, depths of channel, seasonal limitations, and similar factors.

(b) Operation of a vessel on a route of lesser severity than those specifically described or designated on the Certificate of Inspection is permitted unless expressly prohibited on the Certificate of Inspection. The general order of severity of routes is: oceans, coastwise, limited coastwise, Great Lakes, lakes, bays, and sounds, and rivers. The cognizant OCMI may prohibit a vessel from operating on a route of lesser severity than the primary route a vessel is authorized to operate on if local conditions necessitate such a restriction.

(c) Non-self-propelled vessels are prohibited from operating on an oceans, coastwise, limited coastwise, or Great Lakes route unless the Commandant approves such a route.

(d) When designating a permitted route or imposing any operational limits on a vessel, the OCMI may consider:

(1) Requirements of this subchapter for which compliance is based on the route of the vessel;

(2) The performance capabilities of the vessel based on design, scantlings, stability, subdivision, propulsion, speed, operating modes, maneuverability, and other characteristics;

(3) The suitability of the vessel for nighttime operations; and

(4) The suitability of the vessel for all environmental conditions.

The cognizant Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI) determines the total number of persons permitted to be carried on a vessel. In determining the total number of persons, the OCMI may consider the total weight of passengers, crew, and variable loads; stability restrictions and subdivision requirements of the vessel; the vessel's route, general arrangement, means of escape, and lifesaving equipment; minimum manning requirements; and the maximum number of passengers permitted in accordance with § 176.113 of this part.

(a) The maximum number of passengers permitted must be not more than that allowed by the requirements of this section, except as authorized by the OCMI under paragraph (d) of this section.

(b) The maximum number of passengers permitted on any vessel may be the greatest number permitted by the length of rail criterion, deck area criterion, or fixed seating criterion described in this paragraph or a combination of these criteria as allowed by paragraph (c) of this section.

(1) Length of rail criterion. One passenger may be permitted for each 760 millimeters (30 inches) of rail space available to the passengers at the periphery of each deck. The following rail space may not be used in determining the maximum number of passengers permitted:

(i) Rail space in congested areas unsafe for passengers, such as near anchor handling equipment or line handling gear, in the way of sail booms, running rigging, or paddle wheels, or along pulpits;

(ii) Rail space on stairways; and

(iii) Rail space where persons standing in the space would block the vision of the individual operating the vessel.

(2) Deck area criterion. One passenger may be permitted for each 0.9 square meters (10 square feet) of deck area available for the passengers' use. In computing such deck area, the areas occupied by the following must be excluded;

(i) Areas for which the number of persons permitted is determined using the fixed seating criteria;

(ii) Obstructions, including stairway and elevator enclosures, elevated stages, bars, and cashier stands, but not including slot machines, tables, or other room furnishings;

(iii) Toilets and washrooms;

(iv) Spaces occupied by and necessary for handling lifesaving equipment, anchor handling equipment or line handling gear, or in the way of sail booms or running rigging;

(v) Spaces below deck that are unsuitable for passengers or that would not normally be used by passengers;

(vi) Interior passageways less than 840 millimeters (34 inches) wide and passageways on open deck, less than 710 millimeters (28 inches) wide;

(vii) Bow pulpits, swimming platforms and areas that do not have a solid deck, such as netting on multi-hull vessels;

(viii) Deck areas in way of paddle wheels; and

(ix) Aisle area provided in accordance with § 177.820(d) in this subchapter.

(3) Fixed seating criterion. One passenger may be permitted for each 455 millimeter (18 inches) of width of fixed seating provided by § 177.820 of this subchapter. Each sleeping berth in overnight accommodation spaces shall be counted as only one seat.

(c) Different passenger capacity criteria may be used on each deck of a vessel and added together to determine the total passenger capacity of that vessel. Where seats are provided on part of a deck and not on another, the number of passengers permitted on a vessel may be the sum of the number permitted by the seating criterion for the space having seats and the number permitted by the deck area criterion for the space having no seats. The length of rail criterion may not be combined with either the deck area criterion or the fixed seating criterion when determining the maximum number of passengers permitted on an individual deck.

(d) For a vessel operating on short runs on protected waters such as a ferry, the cognizant OCMI may give special consideration to increases in passenger allowances.

(a) When authorized by the cognizant OCMI by an endorsement of the vessel's Certificate of Inspection, a small passenger vessel carrying six or less passengers, or operating as a commercial fishing vessel or other uninspected vessel, or carrying less than twelve passengers and operating as a recreational vessel, need not meet requirements of:

(1) Subparts C, D, and E, of part 180 of this chapter if the vessel is in satisfactory compliance with the lifesaving equipment regulations for an uninspected vessel or recreational vessel in a similar service;

(2) Subpart C of part 177, and parts 178 and 179 of this chapter if the vessel is in satisfactory compliance with applicable regulations for an uninspected vessel or recreational vessel in a similar service or if the owner of the vessel otherwise establishes to the satisfaction of the cognizant OCMI that the vessel is seaworthy for the intended service; and

(3) Sections 184.404 and 184.410 of this chapter providing the vessel is in satisfactory compliance with applicable regulations for an uninspected or recreational vessel in a similar service.

(b) A vessel operating under the alternative regulations of paragraph (a) of this section must:

(1) Not alter the arrangement of the vessel nor remove any equipment required by the certificate for the intended operation, without the consent of the cognizant OCMI;

(2) Comply with the minimum manning specified on the Certificate of Inspection, which may include reduced manning depending on the number of passengers and operation of the vessel;

(3) When carrying from one to six passengers, except for a vessel being operated as a recreational vessel, make the announcement required by § 185.506(a) of this chapter before getting underway; and

(4) If a vessel of more than 15 gross tons, not carry freight for hire.

(c) The endorsement issued under paragraph (a) of this section must indicate the route, maximum number of passengers, and the manning required to operate under the provisions of this section.

(a) An amended Certificate of Inspection may be issued at any time by any OCMI. The amended Certificate of Inspection replaces the original, but the expiration date remains the same as that of the original. An amended Certificate of Inspection may be issued to authorize and record a change in the dimensions, gross tonnage, owner, managing operator, manning, persons permitted, route permitted, conditions of operations, or equipment of a vessel, from that specified in the current Certificate of Inspection.

(b) A request for an amended Certificate of Inspection must be made to the cognizant OCMI by the owner or managing operator of the vessel at any time there is a change in the character of a vessel or in its route, equipment, ownership, operation, or similar factors specified in its current Certificate of Inspection.

(c) The OCMI may require an inspection prior to the issuance of an amended Certificate of Inspection.