46 CFR 15.103: Incorporation by reference for merchant mariner credentials

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section says certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register. It tells readers where to inspect the material and lists three International Maritime Organization documents, with the sections each one is approved for.

What it says

  1. Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.

    46 CFR 15.103(a)“Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.”

  2. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

    46 CFR 15.103(a)“All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).”

  3. The STCW Convention, 1978, as amended, 2011, is incorporated by reference for §§ 15.403, 15.404, 15.1103, 15.1105, and 15.1109.

    46 CFR 15.103(b)(1)“The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended, 2011 (STCW Convention); incorporation by reference approved for §§ 15.403, 15.404, 15.1103, 15.1105, and 15.1109.”

  4. The STCW Code, as amended, 2011, is incorporated by reference for § 15.1109.

    46 CFR 15.103(b)(2)“The Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code, as amended, 2011 (STCW Code); incorporation by reference approved for § 15.1109.”

  5. SOLAS, 1974, is incorporated by reference for §§ 15.818 and 15.1103.

    46 CFR 15.103(b)(3)“The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS); incorporation by reference approved for §§ 15.818 and 15.1103.”

Common questions

Where can I inspect the incorporated material for 46 CFR part 15?

The approved IBR material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

“All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).”

Which section uses SOLAS 1974 as incorporated material?

SOLAS is incorporated by reference approved for §§ 15.818 and 15.1103.

“The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS); incorporation by reference approved for §§ 15.818 and 15.1103.”

Which section incorporates the STCW Code?

The STCW Code, as amended, 2011, is incorporated by reference approved for § 15.1109.

“The Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code, as amended, 2011 (STCW Code); incorporation by reference approved for § 15.1109.”

The text of 46 CFR 15.103

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

Incorporation by reference

(a) Certain material is incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved incorporation by reference (IBR) material is available for inspection at the Coast Guard and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact Coast Guard at: Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC), U.S. Coast Guard, Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20593-7509, 202-372-1492; website: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/merchant_mariner_credential/. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov. The material may be obtained from:

(b) International Maritime Organization (IMO), 4 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SR England, phone: +44 (0)20 7735 7611; website: www.imo.org.

(1) The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended, 2011 (STCW Convention); incorporation by reference approved for §§ 15.403, 15.404, 15.1103, 15.1105, and 15.1109.

(2) The Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code, as amended, 2011 (STCW Code); incorporation by reference approved for § 15.1109.

(3) The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS); incorporation by reference approved for §§ 15.818 and 15.1103.

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.