46 CFR 122.202: Notice of marine casualty

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026

This section says who must notify the Coast Guard of a marine casualty and which casualties trigger notice. Notice goes to the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office, immediately after safety concerns are addressed. It also gives an exclusion for some shipyard and harbor worker deaths and injuries.

Applies toThe owner, agent, master, or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty.

What it says

  1. The owner, agent, master, or person in charge must notify the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office immediately after addressing resultant safety concerns.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)“Immediately after addressing resultant safety concerns, the owner, agent, master, or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty shall notify the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office”

  2. Notice is required for an unintended grounding or an unintended strike of (allision with) a bridge.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)(1)“An unintended grounding, or an unintended strike of (allision with) a bridge:”

  3. Notice is required for loss of main propulsion or primary steering, or any associated component or control system, that reduces the maneuverability of the vessel.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)(3)“Loss of main propulsion or primary steering, or any associated component or control system, that reduces the maneuverability of the vessel;”

  4. Notice is required for loss of life.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)(5)“(5) Loss of life;”

  5. Notice is required for an injury that requires professional medical treatment beyond first aid. If the person is engaged or employed on board a vessel in commercial service, the injury must also make the person unfit to perform routine duties.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)(6)“Injury that requires professional medical treatment (treatment beyond first aid) and, if the person is engaged or employed on board a vessel in commercial service,”

  6. Notice is required for an occurrence that meets none of the other criteria but causes property damage in excess of $25,000. The damage includes the cost of labor and material to restore the property to its condition before the occurrence.

    46 CFR 122.202(a)(7)“An occurrence not meeting any of the above criteria but causing property damage in excess of $25,000.”

  7. Notice given as required by § 122.203 satisfies this section if the marine casualty involves a hazardous condition.

    46 CFR 122.202(c)“Notice given as required by § 122.203 satisfies the requirement of this section if the marine casualty involves a hazardous condition.”

Common questions

Who must give notice of a marine casualty under 46 CFR 122.202?

The owner, agent, master, or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty must give notice. Notice goes to the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office.

“the owner, agent, master, or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty shall notify the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office”

What property damage amount requires notice of a marine casualty?

An occurrence that meets none of the other criteria requires notice if it causes property damage in excess of $25,000. The damage does not include the cost of salvage, cleaning, gas freeing, drydocking, or demurrage.

“but does not include the cost of salvage, cleaning, gas freeing, drydocking, or demurrage.”

Are shipyard or harbor worker deaths and injuries excluded from notice?

They are excluded from paragraphs (a)(5) and (a)(6) only when the accidents are not the result of a vessel casualty or a vessel equipment casualty and are subject to OSHA reporting requirements in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1904.

“A vessel is excluded from the requirements of paragraphs (a)(5) and (a)(6) of this section with respect to the death or injury of shipyard or harbor workers”

The text of 46 CFR 122.202

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

Notice of marine casualty

(a) Immediately after addressing resultant safety concerns, the owner, agent, master, or person in charge of a vessel involved in a marine casualty shall notify the nearest Sector Office, Marine Inspection Office, or Coast Guard Group Office whenever a vessel is involved in a marine casualty consisting of:

(1) An unintended grounding, or an unintended strike of (allision with) a bridge:

(2) An intended grounding, or an intended strike of a bridge, that creates a hazard to navigation, the environment, or the safety of a vessel, or that meets any criterion of paragraphs (a)(3) through (a)(7) of this section;

(3) Loss of main propulsion or primary steering, or any associated component or control system, that reduces the maneuverability of the vessel;

(4) An occurrence materially and adversely affecting the vessel's seaworthiness or fitness for service or route, including but not limited to fire, flooding, failure of or damage to fixed fire extinguishing systems, lifesaving equipment, auxiliary power generating equipment, or bilge pumping systems;

(5) Loss of life;

(6) Injury that requires professional medical treatment (treatment beyond first aid) and, if the person is engaged or employed on board a vessel in commercial service, which renders the individual unfit to perform his or her routine duties; or

(7) An occurrence not meeting any of the above criteria but causing property damage in excess of $25,000. This damage includes the cost of labor and material to restore the property to its condition before the occurrence, but does not include the cost of salvage, cleaning, gas freeing, drydocking, or demurrage.

(b) A vessel is excluded from the requirements of paragraphs (a)(5) and (a)(6) of this section with respect to the death or injury of shipyard or harbor workers when such accidents are not the result of either a vessel casualty (e.g., collision) or a vessel equipment casualty (e.g., cargo boom failure) and are subject to the reporting requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1904.

(c) Notice given as required by § 122.203 satisfies the requirement of this section if the marine casualty involves a hazardous condition.

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.