46 CFR 137.302: Coast Guard inspection option compliance documentation
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section covers towing vessels whose managing owner or managing operator selected the Coast Guard inspection option. That person must make the vessel available for the Coast Guard's required examinations. The examinations follow the intervals prescribed in § 137.300.
Applies toIt applies to the managing owner or managing operator of a towing vessel who has selected the Coast Guard inspection option.
What it says
The managing owner or managing operator who selected the Coast Guard inspection option must make the towing vessel available for the Coast Guard to conduct the examinations required by this subpart.
“must make their vessel available for the Coast Guard to conduct the examinations required by this subpart”
The vessel must be made available in accordance with the intervals prescribed in § 137.300.
“in accordance with the intervals prescribed in § 137.300”
Common questions
Who must make a towing vessel available for Coast Guard examinations under the Coast Guard inspection option?
The managing owner or managing operator of the towing vessel who has selected the Coast Guard inspection option must make the vessel available.
“The managing owner or managing operator of a towing vessel, who has selected the Coast Guard inspection option”
How often must the vessel be made available for Coast Guard examinations?
The vessel must be made available in accordance with the intervals prescribed in § 137.300.
“in accordance with the intervals prescribed in § 137.300”
The text of 46 CFR 137.302
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Documenting compliance for the Coast Guard inspection option
The managing owner or managing operator of a towing vessel, who has selected the Coast Guard inspection option, must make their vessel available for the Coast Guard to conduct the examinations required by this subpart in accordance with the intervals prescribed in § 137.300.
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.