33 CFR 164.61: Marine casualty reporting and voyage record retention

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section applies when a vessel is involved in a marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-1. The master or person in charge must ensure compliance with 46 CFR Subpart 4.05 and must ensure voyage records are retained for set periods.

Applies toThe master or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-1.

What it says

  1. When a vessel is involved in a marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-1, the master or person in charge of the vessel must act as this section requires.

    “When a vessel is involved in a marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-1, the master or person in charge of the vessel shall:”

  2. The master or person in charge must ensure compliance with 46 CFR Subpart 4.05, "Notice of Marine Casualty and Voyage Records."

    33 CFR 164.61(a)“Ensure compliance with 46 CFR Subpart 4.05, “Notice of Marine Casualty and Voyage Records;” and”

  3. The master or person in charge must ensure that the voyage records required by 46 CFR 4.05-15 are retained for the periods given in this paragraph.

    33 CFR 164.61(b)“Ensure that the voyage records required by 46 CFR 4.05-15 are retained for:”

  4. If the vessel remains in the navigable waters of the United States, the voyage records must be retained for 30 days after the casualty.

    33 CFR 164.61(b)(1)“30 days after the casualty if the vessel remains in the navigable waters of the United States; or”

  5. If the vessel departs the navigable waters of the United States within 30 days after the marine casualty, the voyage records must be retained for 30 days after the vessel returns to a United States port.

    33 CFR 164.61(b)(2)“30 days after the return of the vessel to a United States port if the vessel departs the navigable waters of the United States within 30 days after the marine casualty.”

Common questions

Who must make sure marine casualty reporting rules are followed?

The master or person in charge of the vessel must ensure compliance with 46 CFR Subpart 4.05 when the vessel is involved in a marine casualty.

“the master or person in charge of the vessel shall:”

How long must voyage records be kept after a marine casualty?

If the vessel remains in the navigable waters of the United States, they must be kept for 30 days after the casualty. If it departs within 30 days, they must be kept for 30 days after its return to a United States port.

“30 days after the casualty if the vessel remains in the navigable waters of the United States; or”

Which voyage records must be retained after a marine casualty?

The master or person in charge must ensure that the voyage records required by 46 CFR 4.05-15 are retained.

“Ensure that the voyage records required by 46 CFR 4.05-15 are retained for:”

The text of 33 CFR 164.61

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

Marine casualty reporting and record retention

When a vessel is involved in a marine casualty as defined in 46 CFR 4.03-1, the master or person in charge of the vessel shall:

(a) Ensure compliance with 46 CFR Subpart 4.05, “Notice of Marine Casualty and Voyage Records;” and

(b) Ensure that the voyage records required by 46 CFR 4.05-15 are retained for:

(1) 30 days after the casualty if the vessel remains in the navigable waters of the United States; or

(2) 30 days after the return of the vessel to a United States port if the vessel departs the navigable waters of the United States within 30 days after the marine casualty.

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.