33 CFR 164.03: Incorporation by reference for navigation safety

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section lists material that is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register. It names each publisher, standard and edition, and the section for which each is approved. To enforce a different edition, the Coast Guard must publish notice in the Federal Register.

Applies toThis section applies to the material incorporated by reference into this part.

What it says

  1. Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register.

    33 CFR 164.03(a)“Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.”

  2. To enforce an edition other than the one specified, the Coast Guard must publish notice of the change in the Federal Register, and the material must be available to the public.

    33 CFR 164.03(a)“To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, the Coast Guard must publish notice of the change in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public.”

  3. Approved material is available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

    33 CFR 164.03(a)“All approved material is available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).”

  4. API Specification 9A, Section 3, dated May 28, 1984, is incorporated by reference and approved for § 164.74.

    33 CFR 164.03(b)(1)“API Specification 9A, Specification for Wire Rope, Section 3, Properties and Tests for Wire and Wire Rope, May 28, 1984, IBR approved for § 164.74.”

  5. ASTM D4268-93, the standard test method for testing fiber rope, is incorporated by reference and approved for § 164.74.

    33 CFR 164.03(c)(1)“ASTM D4268-93, Standard Test Method for Testing Fiber Rope, IBR approved for § 164.74.”

  6. IMO Resolution A.917(22), the guidelines for onboard operational use of shipborne AIS, dated January 25, 2002, is incorporated by reference and approved for § 164.46.

    33 CFR 164.03(e)(2)“IMO Resolution A.917(22), Guidelines for the Onboard Operational Use of Shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS), January 25, 2002, IBR approved for § 164.46.”

  7. Two RTCM radar standards, one for ships of less than 300 tons gross tonnage and one for ships of 300 tons gross tonnage and upwards, are incorporated by reference and approved for § 164.72.

    33 CFR 164.03(g)(2)“RTCM Paper 71-95/SC112-STD, RTCM Recommended Standards for Marine Radar Equipment Installed on Ships of Less Than 300 Tons Gross Tonnage, Version 1.1, October 10, 1995, IBR approved for § 164.72.”

Common questions

What does incorporation by reference mean in 33 CFR 164.03?

Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register.

“Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.”

Can the Coast Guard enforce a different edition of an incorporated standard?

Yes, but only if the Coast Guard publishes notice of the change in the Federal Register and the material is available to the public.

“To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, the Coast Guard must publish notice of the change in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public.”

Which incorporated standard applies to automatic pilots under § 164.13?

IMO Resolution A342(IX), dated November 12, 1975, is approved for § 164.13.

“IMO Resolution A342(IX), Recommendation on Performance Standards for Automatic Pilots, November 12, 1975, IBR approved for § 164.13.”

The text of 33 CFR 164.03

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

Incorporation by reference

(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, the Coast Guard must publish notice of the change in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. All approved material is available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For more information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html. Also, it is available for inspection at the Commandant (CG-NAV), U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7418, Attn: Office of Navigation Systems, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20593-7418, telephone 202-372-1565, and is available from the sources listed below.

(b) American Petroleum Institute (API), 1220 L Street NW., Washington, DC 20005-4070, 202-682-8000, www.api.org:

(1) API Specification 9A, Specification for Wire Rope, Section 3, Properties and Tests for Wire and Wire Rope, May 28, 1984, IBR approved for § 164.74.

(2) [Reserved]

(c) ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, 610-832-9585, www.astm.org:

(1) ASTM D4268-93, Standard Test Method for Testing Fiber Rope, IBR approved for § 164.74.

(2) [Reserved]

(d) Cordage Institute, 350 Lincoln Street, Hingham, MA 02043.

(1) CIA-3, Standard Test Methods for Fiber Rope Including Standard Terminations, Revised, June 1980, IBR approved for § 164.74.

(2) [Reserved]

(e) International Maritime Organization (IMO), 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, www.imo.org:

(1) IMO Resolution A342(IX), Recommendation on Performance Standards for Automatic Pilots, November 12, 1975, IBR approved for § 164.13.

(2) IMO Resolution A.917(22), Guidelines for the Onboard Operational Use of Shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS), January 25, 2002, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(3) SN/Circ.227, Guidelines for the Installation of a Shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS), January 6, 2003, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(4) SN/Circ.244, Guidance on the Use of the UN/LOCODE in the Destination Field in AIS Messages, December 15, 2004, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(5) SN/Circ.245, Amendments to the Guidelines for the Installation of a Shipborne Automatic Identification System (AIS)(SN/Circ.227), December 15, 2004, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(6) SOLAS, International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, and 1988 Protocol relating thereto, 2000 Amendments, effective January and July 2002, (SOLAS 2000 Amendments), IBR approved for § 164.46.

(7) Conference resolution 1, Adoption of amendments to the Annex to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, and amendments to Chapter V of SOLAS 1974, adopted on December 12, 2002, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(8) SN.1/Circ.289, Guidance on the Use of AIS Application-Specific Messages, June 2, 2010, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(f) National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), 7 Riggs Avenue, Severna Park, MD 21146, 800-808-6632, www.nmea.org:

(1) NMEA 0400, Installation Standard for Marine Electronic Equipment used on Moderate-Sized Vessels, Version 3.10, February 2012, IBR approved for § 164.46.

(2) [Reserved]

(g) Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM), 1611 N. Kent St., Suite 605, Arlington, VA 22209, 703-527-2000, www.rtcm.org:

(1) RTCM Paper 12-78/DO-100, Minimum Performance Standards, Loran C Receiving Equipment, 1977, IBR approved for § 164.41.

(2) RTCM Paper 71-95/SC112-STD, RTCM Recommended Standards for Marine Radar Equipment Installed on Ships of Less Than 300 Tons Gross Tonnage, Version 1.1, October 10, 1995, IBR approved for § 164.72.

(3) RTCM Paper 191-93/SC112-X, RTCM Recommended Standards for Maritime Radar Equipment Installed on Ships of 300 Tons Gross Tonnage and Upwards, Version 1.2, December 20, 1993, IBR approved for § 164.72.

(h) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), 3, rue de Varembe, Geneva, Switzerland, +41 22 919 02 11, http://www.iec.ch/. Email: info@iec.ch.

(1) IEC 62065 (IEC 62065 2002-03), Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems—Track control systems—Operational and performance requirements, methods of testing and required test results, First Edition, dated 2002, IBR approved for § 164.13(d).

(2) IEC 62065 (IEC 62065 2014-02), Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems—Track control systems—Operational and performance requirements, methods of testing and required test results, Edition 2.0, dated 2014, IBR approved for § 164.13(d).

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.