46 CFR 71.45-1: Frequency of sanitary inspections on vessels

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets how often certain vessel spaces must be inspected. Inspections shall be made, in general, at least once in every month. If the vessel is away from a United States port for more than one month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.

What it says

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

    46 CFR 71.45-1(a)“An inspection of passenger and crew quarters, toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc., shall be made, in general, at least once in every month.”

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

    46 CFR 71.45-1(a)“If the route of the vessel is such that it is away from a United States port for more than one month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.”

Common questions

How often must passenger and crew quarters be inspected?

They must be inspected, in general, at least once in every month. The same applies to toilet and washing spaces, serving pantries, galleys, etc.

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

What if my vessel is away from a United States port for more than a 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 United States port for more than one month, an inspection shall be conducted at least once every trip.”

The text of 46 CFR 71.45-1

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

When made

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

(b) [Reserved]

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.