46 CFR 138.505: Submittal of external audit results

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section says where and when the results of external audits required by § 138.315 must be submitted. Management audit results go to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise, and vessel audit results go to the cognizant OCMI. Both must be submitted within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.

What it says

  1. The results of an external management audit required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.

    46 CFR 138.505(a)“The results of an external management audit as required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.”

  2. The mailing address for the Coast Guard Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise is 504 Broadway Street, Suite 101, Paducah, Kentucky 42001.

    46 CFR 138.505(a)“The mailing address for the Coast Guard Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise is 504 Broadway Street, Suite 101, Paducah, Kentucky 42001.”

  3. The results of any external vessel audits required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the cognizant OCMI within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.

    46 CFR 138.505(b)“The results of any external vessel audits required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the cognizant OCMI within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.”

  4. The results of external audits required by this section may be submitted electronically, so long as the means used allows the Coast Guard to reliably verify the person making the submission and the authenticity of the records submitted.

    46 CFR 138.505(c)“may be submitted electronically so long as the means used allows the Coast Guard to reliably verify the person making the submission and the authenticity of the records submitted.”

  5. For those seeking to submit external audit records to the Coast Guard electronically, the TSMS must address the means to be used to make these electronic submissions.

    46 CFR 138.505(c)“For those seeking to submit external audit records to the Coast Guard electronically, the TSMS must address the means to be used to make these electronic submissions.”

Common questions

Where do I send external management audit results?

The results of an external management audit must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise. The TPO conducting the audit must submit them within 30 days of audit completion.

“must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.”

Who receives external vessel audit results?

The cognizant OCMI receives the results of any external vessel audits required by § 138.315. The TPO conducting the audit must submit them within 30 days of audit completion.

“The results of any external vessel audits required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the cognizant OCMI within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.”

Can external audit results be submitted electronically?

Yes, they may be submitted electronically if the means used allows the Coast Guard to reliably verify the person making the submission and the authenticity of the records. For those seeking to submit electronically, the TSMS must address the means to be used.

“For those seeking to submit external audit records to the Coast Guard electronically, the TSMS must address the means to be used to make these electronic submissions.”

The text of 46 CFR 138.505

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

Submittal of external audit results

(a) Submission of external management audits. The results of an external management audit as required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit. The mailing address for the Coast Guard Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise is 504 Broadway Street, Suite 101, Paducah, Kentucky 42001.

(b) Submission of external vessel audits. The results of any external vessel audits required by § 138.315 must be submitted to the cognizant OCMI within 30 days of audit completion by the TPO conducting the external audit.

(c) Electronic submissions. The results of external audits required by this section may be submitted electronically so long as the means used allows the Coast Guard to reliably verify the person making the submission and the authenticity of the records submitted. For those seeking to submit external audit records to the Coast Guard electronically, the TSMS must address the means to be used to make these electronic submissions.

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.