33 CFR 155.1026: Qualified individual and alternate for response plans

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

The response plan must identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate, available on a 24-hour basis. They must speak fluent English, be familiar with the plan, and be trained in their responsibilities. The owner or operator must give each a document designating their authority.

What it says

  1. The response plan must identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate, and one of them must be available on a 24-hour basis.

    33 CFR 155.1026(a)“The response plan must identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate who meet the requirements of this section.”

  2. The qualified individual and alternate must speak fluent English and, except as set out in paragraph (c), be located in the United States.

    33 CFR 155.1026(b)(2)“Except as set out in paragraph (c) of this section, be located in the United States;”

  3. The qualified individual and alternate must be familiar with implementing the vessel response plan and be trained in the qualified individual's responsibilities under the plan.

    33 CFR 155.1026(b)(4)“Be trained in the responsibilities of the qualified individual under the response plan.”

  4. For Canadian flag vessels operating on the Great Lakes or the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, WA, the qualified individual may be located in Canada if he or she meets all other requirements in paragraph (b).

    33 CFR 155.1026(c)“the qualified individual may be located in Canada if he or she meets all other requirements in paragraph (b) of this section.”

  5. The owner operator shall give each qualified individual and alternate a document designating them and specifying their full authority to contract with response resources, act as liaison with the predesignated Federal On-Scene Coordinator (OCS), and obligate funds for response activities.

    33 CFR 155.1026(d)“shall provide each qualified individual and alternate qualified individual identified in the plan with a document designating them as a qualified individual”

  6. The owner or operator may designate an organization to fill the role, and must list in the response plan the organization, the qualified individual, and the alternate or alternates.

    33 CFR 155.1026(e)“The owner or operator of a vessel may designate an organization to fulfill the role of the qualified individual and alternate qualified individual.”

  7. The qualified individual is not responsible for the adequacy of response plans prepared by the owner or operator.

    33 CFR 155.1026(f)(1)“The adequacy of response plans prepared by the owner or operator; or”

Common questions

Must a qualified individual be available 24 hours a day?

Yes. The qualified individual or alternate qualified individual must be available on a 24-hour basis.

“The qualified individual or alternate qualified individual must be available on a 24-hour basis.”

Can a qualified individual be located outside the United States?

Generally no, but for Canadian flag vessels on the Great Lakes or the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, WA, the qualified individual may be located in Canada if all other paragraph (b) requirements are met.

“For Canadian flag vessels while operating on the Great Lakes or the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, WA,”

Can an organization act as the qualified individual?

Yes. The owner or operator may designate an organization, which must then identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate who meet the requirements of this section.

“The organization must then identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate qualified individual who meet the requirements of this section.”

The text of 33 CFR 155.1026

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Qualified individual and alternate qualified individual

(a) The response plan must identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate who meet the requirements of this section. The qualified individual or alternate qualified individual must be available on a 24-hour basis.

(b) The qualified individual and alternate must—

(1) Speak fluent English;

(2) Except as set out in paragraph (c) of this section, be located in the United States;

(3) Be familiar with the implementation of the vessel response plan; and

(4) Be trained in the responsibilities of the qualified individual under the response plan.

(c) For Canadian flag vessels while operating on the Great Lakes or the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, WA, the qualified individual may be located in Canada if he or she meets all other requirements in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) The owner operator shall provide each qualified individual and alternate qualified individual identified in the plan with a document designating them as a qualified individual and specifying their full authority to—

(1) Activate and engage in contracting with oil spill removal organization(s) and other response related resources identified in the plan;

(2) Act as a liaison with the predesignated Federal On-Scene Coordinator (OCS); and

(3) Obligate funds required to carry out response activities.

(e) The owner or operator of a vessel may designate an organization to fulfill the role of the qualified individual and alternate qualified individual. The organization must then identify a qualified individual and at least one alternate qualified individual who meet the requirements of this section. The vessel owner or operator is required to list in the response plan the organization, the person identified as the qualified individual, and the person or persons identified as the alternate qualified individual(s).

(f) The qualified individual is not responsible for—

(1) The adequacy of response plans prepared by the owner or operator; or

(2) Contracting or obligating funds for response resources beyond the full authority contained in their designation from the owner or operator of the vessel.

(g) The liability of a qualified individual is considered to be in accordance with the provisions of 33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(4).

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.