46 CFR 189.33-1: Frequency of sanitary inspections on vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets how often certain living and food-service spaces on a vessel must be inspected. The inspection must be made at least once every month. If the vessel is away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, it must be made at least once every trip.

What it says

  1. An inspection of quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., must be made at least once in every month.

    46 CFR 189.33-1(a)“An inspection of quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., shall be made at least once in every month.”

  2. If the vessel's route keeps it away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, the inspection must be conducted at least once every trip.

    46 CFR 189.33-1(a)“If the route of the vessel is such that it is away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.”

Common questions

How often must quarters and galleys be inspected on a vessel?

Quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., must be inspected at least once in every month.

“An inspection of quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., shall be made at least once in every month.”

What is the inspection rule if a vessel is away from a U.S. port for more than a month?

If the vessel is away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, an inspection must be conducted at least once every trip.

“If the route of the vessel is such that it is away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.”

The text of 46 CFR 189.33-1

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

When made

(a) An inspection of quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., shall be made at least once in every month. If the route of the vessel is such that it is away from a U.S. port for more than 1 month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.

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.