46 CFR 13.111: Restricted tank vessel endorsements

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section lets an applicant seek a tank vessel endorsement restricted to specific cargoes, vessels, facilities, or employers. It sets qualifications for Restricted Tank Vessel-PIC and Tank Barge-PIC endorsements, with added rules for tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facilities. It also limits where some restricted endorsements are valid.

Applies toApplicants for tank vessel endorsements restricted to specific cargoes, vessels or groups of vessels, facilities, and/or employers.

What it says

  1. An applicant may apply for a tank vessel endorsement restricted to specific cargoes, vessels or groups of vessels, facilities, and/or employers.

    46 CFR 13.111(a)“An applicant may apply for a tank vessel endorsement restricted to specific cargoes, specific vessels, or groups of vessels”

  2. The Coast Guard will evaluate each application. It may modify the applicable requirements to allow for special circumstances and for the restrictions the endorsement will state.

    46 CFR 13.111(a)“The Coast Guard will evaluate each application and may modify the applicable requirements for the endorsement”

  3. To qualify for a Restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement, an applicant must meet §§ 13.201 (excluding paragraph (c)(4)), 13.203, and 13.205.

    46 CFR 13.111(b)“To qualify for a Restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement, an applicant must meet §§ 13.201 (excluding paragraph (c)(4)), 13.203, and 13.205.”

  4. For a Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement, twenty-five percent of the service described in § 13.303(a) must have occurred within the past 5 years.

    46 CFR 13.111(c)(1)“Twenty-five percent of the service described in § 13.303(a) must have occurred within the past 5 years.”

  5. For a Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement restricted to a tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facility, the applicant must provide evidence, dated within the 5 years prior to the application, from the facility operator that OSHA considers the applicant a competent person and that the applicant has the knowledge to supervise tank-cleaning and gas-freeing.

    46 CFR 13.111(d)(4)“from the operator of the facility stating that OSHA considers the applicant a “competent person (as designated under 29 CFR 1915.7)” for the facility”

  6. A facility-restricted Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement is valid only while the applicant is employed by the operator of the facility that provided the letter of service required by paragraph (d)(4).

    46 CFR 13.111(e)“is valid only while the applicant is employed by the operator of the facility that provided the letter of service required by paragraph (d)(4) of this section”

  7. A restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement limited to operation on vessels inside the boundary line is not valid where STCW certification is required.

    46 CFR 13.111(f)“A restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement limited to operation on vessels inside the boundary line is not valid where STCW certification is required.”

Common questions

What can a restricted tank vessel endorsement be limited to?

It can be restricted to specific cargoes, specific vessels or groups of vessels, specific facilities, and/or specific employers.

“An applicant may apply for a tank vessel endorsement restricted to specific cargoes, specific vessels, or groups of vessels”

How old must I be for a tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facility endorsement?

An applicant for the Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement restricted to a tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facility must be at least 18 years old.

“Be at least 18 years old;”

Is a restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement for inside the boundary line valid where STCW is required?

No. It is not valid where STCW certification is required.

“A restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement limited to operation on vessels inside the boundary line is not valid where STCW certification is required.”

The text of 46 CFR 13.111

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

Restricted tank vessel endorsements

(a) An applicant may apply for a tank vessel endorsement restricted to specific cargoes, specific vessels, or groups of vessels (such as uninspected towing vessels and oil spill response vessels), specific facilities, and/or specific employers. The Coast Guard will evaluate each application and may modify the applicable requirements for the endorsement, allowing for special circumstances and for whichever restrictions the endorsement will state.

(b) To qualify for a Restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement, an applicant must meet §§ 13.201 (excluding paragraph (c)(4)), 13.203, and 13.205.

(1) Twenty-five percent of the service described in § 13.203(a) must have occurred within the past 5 years.

(2) Two of the transfers described in § 13.203(b) must have occurred within the past 5 years.

(c) To qualify for a Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement, an applicant must meet §§ 13.301 (excluding paragraph (c)(4)), 13.303, and 13.305.

(1) Twenty-five percent of the service described in § 13.303(a) must have occurred within the past 5 years.

(2) Two of the transfers described in § 13.303(b) must have occurred within the past 5 years.

(d) To qualify for a Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement restricted to a tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facility, an applicant must—

(1) Be at least 18 years old;

(2) Apply on a form provided by the Coast Guard;

(3) Provide evidence of passing a physical and medical examination according to § 13.125;

(4) Provide evidence in a method prescribed by the Coast Guard, which must be dated within the 5 years prior to the application for the credential, from the operator of the facility stating that OSHA considers the applicant a “competent person (as designated under 29 CFR 1915.7)” for the facility and that the applicant has the knowledge necessary to supervise tank-cleaning and gas-freeing; and

(5) Be capable of speaking and understanding, in English, all instructions needed to commence, conduct, and complete a transfer of cargo, and of reading and understanding the English found in the Declaration of Inspection, vessel response plans, and Cargo Information Cards.

(e) The Restricted Tank Barge-PIC endorsement restricted to a tank-cleaning and gas-freeing facility is valid only while the applicant is employed by the operator of the facility that provided the letter of service required by paragraph (d)(4) of this section, and this and any other appropriate restrictions will appear in the endorsement.

(f) A restricted Tank Vessel-PIC endorsement limited to operation on vessels inside the boundary line is not valid where STCW certification is required.

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.