May 20, 2026

Coast Guard Announces Performance-Driven Certificate of Compliance Examination Schedule for Foreign Tank Vessels

The U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) has implemented the "Performance-Driven Certificate of Compliance (COC) Examination Schedule" for foreign tank vessels. Authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, this program modernizes the annual COC examination cycle. For high-performing vessels, a comprehensive performance review by the Coast Guard will now satisfy the annual examination requirement in lieu of a physical, on-board inspection.

Oct. 29, 2025

Commercial Vessel Safety During Lapse in Coast Guard Appropriations

This post outlines the Coast Guard's guidance on commercial vessel safety during a lapse in appropriations, addressing Certificates of Financial Responsibility, Certificates of Documentation, and Merchant Mariner Credentials. It details which operations will continue and which will be limited, and provides specific instructions for vessel owners, operators, and mariners.

May 18, 2024

Updated Policy Letter on Guidelines for Human-Supervised Testing of Remote Controlled and Autonomous Systems on Vessels

The Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) announces the publication of Change 1 to the policy letter titled Guidelines for Human-Supervised Testing of Remote Controlled and Autonomous Systems on Vessels.