46 CFR 11.1105: Officer endorsement requirements on passenger vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets training requirements for Masters, deck officers, Chief Engineers, and engineer officers serving on passenger vessels on international voyages. They must meet STCW Regulation V/2 and section A-V/2 of the STCW Code and hold documentary evidence. Evidence of maintaining competence is due at intervals not exceeding 5 years.

Applies toMasters, deck officers, Chief Engineers, and engineer officers serving on a passenger vessel on international voyages.

What it says

  1. Masters, deck officers, Chief Engineers, and engineer officers serving on a passenger vessel on international voyages must meet the appropriate requirements of the STCW Regulation V/2 and of section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

    46 CFR 11.1105(a)(1)“Meet the appropriate requirements of the STCW Regulation V/2 and of section A-V/2 of the STCW Code (incorporated by reference, see § 11.102 of this part) as follows:”

  2. Masters, officers, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergency situations on passenger ships must have completed crowd management training specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

    46 CFR 11.1105(a)(1)(i)“Masters, officers, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergency situation onboard passenger ships must have completed training in crowd management specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.”

  3. Personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces on passenger ships must have completed the safety training specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

    46 CFR 11.1105(a)(1)(ii)“Personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces onboard passenger ships must have completed the safety training specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.”

  4. Those named in this paragraph, including Masters, Chief Engineer Officers, Chief Mates, and Second Engineer Officers, and every person assigned immediate responsibility for these tasks on Ro-Ro passenger ships, must have completed approved training in passenger safety, cargo safety, and hull integrity.

    46 CFR 11.1105(a)(1)(iv)“must have completed approved training in passenger safety, cargo safety, and hull integrity as specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code; and”

  5. Those required to be trained must hold documentary evidence as proof of meeting these requirements through approved or accepted training.

    46 CFR 11.1105(a)(2)“Hold documentary evidence as proof of meeting these requirements through approved or accepted training.”

  6. Seafarers required to be trained under paragraph (a) must provide evidence of maintaining the standard of competence at intervals not exceeding 5 years.

    46 CFR 11.1105(b)“must provide, at intervals not exceeding 5 years, evidence of maintaining the standard of competence.”

  7. The Coast Guard will accept onboard training and experience, shown by evidence of 1 year of sea service within the last 5 years, as meeting the requirement of paragraph (b).

    46 CFR 11.1105(c)“The Coast Guard will accept onboard training and experience, through evidence of 1 year of sea service within the last 5 years”

  8. Personnel on small passenger vessels engaged in domestic, near-coastal voyages, as defined in § 10.107 of this subchapter, are not subject to any obligation for the purpose of this STCW requirement.

    46 CFR 11.1105(d)“are not subject to any obligation for the purpose of this STCW requirement.”

Common questions

How often must I show evidence of maintaining STCW passenger ship competence?

Seafarers required to be trained under paragraph (a) must provide evidence at intervals not exceeding 5 years.

“must provide, at intervals not exceeding 5 years, evidence of maintaining the standard of competence.”

Can sea service count toward the 5-year evidence requirement?

Yes. The Coast Guard will accept onboard training and experience, shown by 1 year of sea service within the last 5 years, as meeting paragraph (b).

“The Coast Guard will accept onboard training and experience, through evidence of 1 year of sea service within the last 5 years”

Do these STCW requirements apply on small passenger vessels on domestic voyages?

No. Personnel on small passenger vessels on domestic, near-coastal voyages, as defined in § 10.107 of this subchapter, have no obligation for this STCW requirement.

“are not subject to any obligation for the purpose of this STCW requirement.”

The text of 46 CFR 11.1105

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of March 31, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

General requirements for officer endorsements

(a) To serve on a passenger vessel on international voyages, Masters, deck officers, Chief Engineers, and engineer officers, must—

(1) Meet the appropriate requirements of the STCW Regulation V/2 and of section A-V/2 of the STCW Code (incorporated by reference, see § 11.102 of this part) as follows:

(i) Masters, officers, and other personnel designated on the muster list to assist passengers in emergency situation onboard passenger ships must have completed training in crowd management specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

(ii) Personnel providing direct service to passengers in passenger spaces onboard passenger ships must have completed the safety training specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

(iii) Masters, Chief Engineer Officers, Chief Mates, Second Engineer Officers, and any person designated on muster lists of having responsibility for the safety of passengers in emergency situations onboard passenger ships must have completed approved training in crisis management and human behavior as specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code.

(iv) Masters, Chief Engineer Officers, Chief Mates, Second Engineer Officers, and every person assigned immediate responsibility for embarking and disembarking passengers, loading, discharging or securing cargo, or closing hull openings onboard Ro-Ro passenger ships must have completed approved training in passenger safety, cargo safety, and hull integrity as specified in section A-V/2 of the STCW Code; and

(2) Hold documentary evidence as proof of meeting these requirements through approved or accepted training.

(b) Seafarers who are required to be trained in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section must provide, at intervals not exceeding 5 years, evidence of maintaining the standard of competence.

(c) The Coast Guard will accept onboard training and experience, through evidence of 1 year of sea service within the last 5 years, as meeting the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) Personnel serving onboard small passenger vessels engaged in domestic, near-coastal voyages, as defined in § 10.107 of this subchapter, are not subject to any obligation for the purpose of this STCW requirement.

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 March 31, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.