33 CFR 155.5060: Exercises for nontank vessel response plans

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets exercise requirements for nontank vessels based on oil capacity. For vessels with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater, the owner or operator must conduct exercises, including both announced and unannounced exercises, and comply with 33 CFR 155.1060. For vessels with an oil capacity of less than 250 barrels, the owner or operator must follow the paragraph (a) exercise requirements or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061.

Applies toOwners and operators of nontank vessels, with requirements that depend on whether oil capacity is 250 barrels or greater or less than 250 barrels.

What it says

  1. For a nontank vessel with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater that must have a vessel response plan (VRP) under § 155.5035, the owner or operator must conduct exercises as necessary to ensure the VRP will function in an emergency.

    33 CFR 155.5060(a)(1)“must conduct exercises as necessary to ensure that the VRP will function in an emergency”

  2. For a nontank vessel with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater, the owner or operator must include both announced and unannounced exercises.

    33 CFR 155.5060(a)(1)“Vessel owners or operators must include both announced and unannounced exercises”

  3. For a nontank vessel with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater, the owner or operator must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060.

    33 CFR 155.5060(a)(2)“A vessel owner or operator must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060.”

  4. For a nontank vessel with an oil capacity of less than 250 barrels, the owner or operator must comply with either the VRP exercise requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061.

    33 CFR 155.5060(b)“must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061”

Common questions

Do VRP exercises have to include unannounced exercises?

For nontank vessels with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater, yes. The owner or operator must include both announced and unannounced exercises.

“Vessel owners or operators must include both announced and unannounced exercises”

What exercise rules apply to nontank vessels under 250 barrels of oil capacity?

The owner or operator must comply with either the VRP exercise requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061.

“must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061”

Which other section sets VRP exercise requirements for nontank vessels of 250 barrels or greater?

The owner or operator of a nontank vessel with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060.

“A vessel owner or operator must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060.”

The text of 33 CFR 155.5060

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

Exercises

(a) For nontank vessels with an oil capacity of 250 barrels or greater—

(1) A vessel owner or operator required by § 155.5035 to have a vessel response plan (VRP) must conduct exercises as necessary to ensure that the VRP will function in an emergency. Vessel owners or operators must include both announced and unannounced exercises; and

(2) A vessel owner or operator must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of 33 CFR 155.1060.

(b) For nontank vessels with an oil capacity of less than 250 barrels, a vessel owner or operator must comply with the VRP exercise requirements of paragraph (a) of this section or the Alternative Training and Exercise Program requirements of § 155.5061.

Sections it refers to

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.