46 CFR 15.701: Officers Competency Certificates Convention requirements

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section implements the Officers Competency Certificates Convention, 1936 for certain U.S.-documented vessels navigating seaward of the Boundary Lines. The Master, Mates and engineers must hold an MMC officer endorsement. A designated official may detain a vessel until it complies, and the detention may be appealed.

Applies toEach vessel documented under the laws of the United States navigating seaward of the Boundary Lines in part 7 of this chapter, except a public vessel, a wooden vessel of primitive build, a barge, or a vessel of less than 200 gross tons.

What it says

  1. This section applies to each U.S.-documented vessel navigating seaward of the Boundary Lines in part 7 of this chapter.

    46 CFR 15.701(a)“applies to each vessel documented under the laws of the United States navigating seaward of the Boundary Lines in part 7 of this chapter, except:”

  2. The section does not apply to a public vessel, a wooden vessel of primitive build such as a dhow or junk, a barge, or a vessel of less than 200 gross tons.

    46 CFR 15.701(a)(2)“A wooden vessel of primitive build, such as a dhow or junk;”

  3. The Master, Mates and engineers on a vessel to which this section applies must hold an MMC officer endorsement issued by the Coast Guard under parts 10 and 11 of this subchapter.

    46 CFR 15.701(b)“must hold an MMC officer endorsement to serve in that capacity issued by the Coast Guard under parts 10 and 11 of this subchapter.”

  4. A designated official may detain a covered vessel, or a foreign flagged vessel to which the Convention applies, until the official is satisfied that the vessel complies with the Convention.

    46 CFR 15.701(c)“may be detained by a designated official until that official is satisfied that the vessel is in compliance with the Convention.”

  5. Designated officials include Coast Guard officers, Coast Guard petty officers and officers or employees of the Customs and Border Protection Service.

    46 CFR 15.701(c)“Designated official includes Coast Guard officers, Coast Guard petty officers and officers or employees of the Customs and Border Protection Service.”

  6. The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, Master, or individual in charge may appeal a detention within 5 days under § 2.01-70 of this chapter.

    46 CFR 15.701(d)“the owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, Master, or individual in charge may appeal the detention within 5 days under the provisions of § 2.01-70 of this chapter.”

Common questions

Does a vessel of less than 200 gross tons have to meet 46 CFR 15.701?

No. The section excludes a vessel of less than 200 gross tons from its application.

“A vessel of less than 200 gross tons.”

What credential must Masters, Mates and engineers hold under this section?

They must hold an MMC officer endorsement issued by the Coast Guard under parts 10 and 11 of this subchapter.

“must hold an MMC officer endorsement to serve in that capacity issued by the Coast Guard under parts 10 and 11 of this subchapter.”

How long do I have to appeal a vessel detention under the Officers Competency Certificates Convention?

The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, Master, or individual in charge may appeal within 5 days under § 2.01-70 of this chapter.

“the owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, Master, or individual in charge may appeal the detention within 5 days under the provisions of § 2.01-70 of this chapter.”

Who can detain a vessel under this section?

A designated official may detain it. This includes Coast Guard officers, Coast Guard petty officers and officers or employees of the Customs and Border Protection Service.

“Designated official includes Coast Guard officers, Coast Guard petty officers and officers or employees of the Customs and Border Protection Service.”

The text of 46 CFR 15.701

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

Officers Competency Certificates Convention, 1936

(a) This section implements the Officers Competency Certificates Convention, 1936 (see 46 U.S.C. 8304), and applies to each vessel documented under the laws of the United States navigating seaward of the Boundary Lines in part 7 of this chapter, except:

(1) A public vessel;

(2) A wooden vessel of primitive build, such as a dhow or junk;

(3) A barge; or

(4) A vessel of less than 200 gross tons.

(b) The Master, Mates and engineers on any vessel to which this section applies must hold an MMC officer endorsement to serve in that capacity issued by the Coast Guard under parts 10 and 11 of this subchapter.

(c) A vessel to which this section applies, or a foreign flagged vessel to which the Officers Competency Certificates Convention applies, may be detained by a designated official until that official is satisfied that the vessel is in compliance with the Convention. Designated official includes Coast Guard officers, Coast Guard petty officers and officers or employees of the Customs and Border Protection Service.

(d) Whenever a vessel is detained, the owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, Master, or individual in charge may appeal the detention within 5 days under the provisions of § 2.01-70 of this chapter.

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.