Except as provided by §§ 126.120 and 126.260, no OSV may be operated without a valid Certificate of Inspection.

The Certificate of Inspection issued to an OSV specifies the vessel, the route it may travel, the minimum manning it requires, the minimum fire-extinguishing and lifesaving equipment it must carry, the maximum number of offshore workers and of total persons it may carry, the name of its owner and operator, and such other conditions as the cognizant OCMI may determine.

An offshore supply vessel certificated under this subchapter that is less than 500 gross register tons (GRT) as measured under section 14502 of Title 46, United States Code, or 6,000 gross tonnage (GT ITC) as measured under section 14302 of Title 46, United States Code when GRT is not assigned, may also be certificated as an oil spill response vessel.

(a) A builder, owner, master, or operator may begin to obtain or to renew a Certificate of Inspection by submitting an “Application for Inspection of U.S. Vessel,” Form CG-3752, to the OCMI of the marine inspection zone in which the inspection is to be made. Form CG-3752 is available from any Marine Safety or Marine Inspection Office of the U.S. Coast Guard.

(b) The application for initial inspection of an OSV being newly constructed or undergoing a major conversion must be submitted before the start of construction or conversion.

(c) The construction, arrangement, and equipment of each OSV must be acceptable to the cognizant OCMI for the issuance of the initial Certificate of Inspection. Acceptance depends on the information, specifications, drawings, and calculations available to this OCMI, and on the successful completion of the initial inspection for certification.

(d) A Certificate of Inspection is renewed by the issuance of a new Certificate of Inspection.

(e) The condition of the OSV and its equipment must be acceptable to the cognizant OCMI for the renewal of the Certificate of Inspection. Acceptance depends on the condition of the vessel as found at the periodic inspection for certification.

(a) In place of compliance with other applicable provisions of this subchapter, the owner or operator of a vessel subject to plan review and inspection under this subchapter for initial issuance or renewal of a Certificate of Inspection (CG-841 rev. 3/85) may comply with the Alternate Compliance Program provisions of 46 CFR part 8.

(b) For the purposes of this section, a list of authorized classification societies, including information for ordering copies of approved classification society rules and supplements, is available at Coast Guard Headquarters. Contact Commandant (CG-ENG-2), Attn: Naval Architecture Division, U.S. Coast Guard Stop 7509, 2703 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20593-7509; telephone 202-372-1372 or fax 202-372-1925.Approved classification society rules and supplements are incorporated by reference into 46 CFR 8.110(b).

The Certificate of Inspection must be framed under glass or other suitable transparent material and posted in a conspicuous place aboard the OSV so that each page is visible.

(a) A Certificate of Inspection is valid for 5 years.

(b) A Certificate of Inspection may be suspended and withdrawn or revoked by the cognizant OCMI at any time for noncompliance with the requirements of this subchapter or other applicable laws.

If necessary to prevent delay of the OSV, a “Temporary Certificate of Inspection,” Form CG-854, containing information listed by § 126.220 may be issued pending the issuance and delivery of the regular Certificate of Inspection. A Temporary Certificate must be carried in the same manner as the regular Certificate.

(a) An amended Certificate of Inspection may be issued at any time by any OCMI. The amended Certificate of Inspection replaces the original, but the expiration date remains the same as that of the original. An amended Certificate of Inspection may be issued to authorize and record a change in the dimensions, gross tonnage, owner, operator, manning, offshore workers permitted, route permitted, conditions of operations, equipment, or the like from that specified in the current Certificate of Inspection.

(b) A request for an amended Certificate of Inspection must be made to the cognizant OCMI by the owner or operator of the vessel at any time there is a change in the character of a vessel or in its route, equipment, ownership, operation, or similar factors specified in its current Certificate of Inspection.

(c) The cognizant OCMI may require an inspection before issuing an amended Certificate of Inspection.