46 CFR 144.700: General requirements for crew accommodation and work spaces

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets general requirements for crew accommodation spaces and work spaces on a vessel. They must be suitable for safe operation and for protecting and accommodating the crew. The deck above a crew accommodation space must be above the deepest load waterline.

What it says

  1. A crew accommodation space and a work space must be of sufficient size, adequate construction, and have suitable equipment.

    46 CFR 144.700(a)“A crew accommodation space and a work space must be of sufficient size, adequate construction, and with suitable equipment”

  2. These spaces must provide for the safe operation of the vessel and the protection and accommodation of the crew, in a manner practicable for the size, facilities, service, route, and modes of operation of the vessel.

    46 CFR 144.700(a)“to provide for the safe operation of the vessel and the protection and accommodation of the crew in a manner practicable for the size, facilities, service, route, and modes of operation of the vessel.”

  3. The deck above a crew accommodation space must be located above the deepest load waterline.

    46 CFR 144.700(b)“The deck above a crew accommodation space must be located above the deepest load waterline.”

Common questions

Where must the deck above crew accommodation spaces be located?

The deck above a crew accommodation space must be located above the deepest load waterline.

“The deck above a crew accommodation space must be located above the deepest load waterline.”

What must crew accommodation and work spaces provide?

They must provide for the safe operation of the vessel and the protection and accommodation of the crew, in a manner practicable for the vessel's size, facilities, service, route, and modes of operation.

“to provide for the safe operation of the vessel and the protection and accommodation of the crew in a manner practicable for the size, facilities, service, route, and modes of operation of the vessel.”

The text of 46 CFR 144.700

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

General requirements

(a) A crew accommodation space and a work space must be of sufficient size, adequate construction, and with suitable equipment to provide for the safe operation of the vessel and the protection and accommodation of the crew in a manner practicable for the size, facilities, service, route, and modes of operation of the vessel.

(b) The deck above a crew accommodation space must be located above the deepest load waterline.

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.