[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 7]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR199.20]

[Page 476-477]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 199_LIFESAVING SYSTEMS FOR CERTAIN INSPECTED VESSELS--Table of Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec. 199.20  Exemptions.

    (a) Vessels engaged on international voyages. (1) The following 
types of vessels engaged on international voyages may request an 
exemption from Commandant (G-MOC) from requirements of this part:
    (i) A vessel for which the sheltered nature and conditions of an 
international voyage would render the application of any specific 
requirements of this part unreasonable or unnecessary and which in the 
course of the voyage does not proceed more than 20 miles from the 
nearest land.
    (ii) A vessel embodying features of a novel kind to which the 
application of any provision of this part would seriously impede 
research into the development of such features and their incorporation 
on vessels engaged on international voyages.
    (2) A written request for exemption under this section must be 
submitted to the cognizant OCMI for review and forwarding to Commandant 
(G-MOC).
    (b) Single voyage exemption from SOLAS requirements. A vessel that 
is not normally engaged on international voyages, but which, under 
exceptional circumstances, is required to undertake a single 
international voyage, may be exempted from the applicable requirements 
in this subpart and subparts B, C, and D of this part by the Commandant 
(G-MOC). A written request for exemption under this paragraph must be 
submitted to the cognizant OCMI for review and forwarding to Commandant 
(G-MOC).
    (c) Exemption Certificates. When Commandant (G-MOC) grants an 
exemption under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section, an Exemption 
Certificate describing the exemption will be issued by the appropriate 
OCMI. The Exemption Certificate must be carried on board the vessel at 
all times and must be available to Coast Guard personnel upon request.
    (d) Vessels not engaged on international voyages. (1) If a District 
Commander

[[Page 477]]

determines that the overall safety of the persons on board a vessel will 
not be significantly reduced, the District Commander may grant an 
exemption from compliance with a provision of this part to a specific 
vessel for a specified geographic area within the boundaries of the 
Coast Guard District. This exemption may be limited to certain periods 
of the year.
    (2) Requests for exemption under this paragraph must be made in 
writing to the OCMI for transmission to the District Commander for the 
area in which the vessel is in service or will be in service.
    (3) If the exemption is granted by the District Commander, the OCMI 
will endorse the vessel's Certificate of Inspection with a statement 
describing the exemption.

[CGD 84-069, 61 FR 25313, May 20, 1996, as amended by CGD 96-041, 61 FR 
50735, Sept. 27, 1996; USCG-1999-6216, 64 FR 53229, Oct. 1, 1999]