[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR12.02-7]

[Page 203-204]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 12_CERTIFICATION OF SEAMEN--Table of Contents
 
          Subpart 12.02_General Requirements for Certification
 
Sec. 12.02-7  When documents are required.

    (a) Every seaman employed on any merchant vessel of the United 
States of 100 gross tons or upward, except vessels employed exclusively 
in trade on the navigable rivers of the United States, shall be issued, 
at the option of the seaman, a continuous discharge book, a certificate 
of identification, or merchant mariner's document representing such 
certificate of identification, which shall be retained by him. This book 
or certificate of identification or merchant mariner's document will 
bear a number, and this same number shall be shown on all certificates 
of service or efficiency issued to the holder of the book or certificate 
or document. Provisions of this section are not applicable to unrigged 
vessels except seagoing barges and certain tank barges.
    (b) Every seaman, as referred to in paragraph (a) of this section, 
shall produce a continuous discharge book or certificate of 
identification or merchant mariner's document representing such a 
certificate to the United States shipping commissioner before signing 
Articles of Agreement, and where the seaman is not signed on before a 
shipping commissioner, one of these documents shall be exhibited to the 
master of the vessel at the time of his employment. Seamen who do not 
possess one of these documents may be employed at a foreign port or 
place.
    (c)(1) Every person employed on any merchant vessel of the United 
States of 100 gross tons and upward, except those navigating rivers 
exclusively and the smaller inland lakes, below the rank of licensed 
officer and registered staff officer, shall possess a valid certificate 
of service, or merchant mariner's document representing such 
certificate, issued by an Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.
    (2) No certificate of service or efficiency is required of any 
person below the rank of licensed officer employed on any unrigged 
vessel except seagoing barges and certain tank barges.
    (3) No certificate of service or efficiency is required of any 
person below the rank of licensed officer employed on any sail vessel of 
less than 500 net tons while not carrying passengers for hire and while 
not operating outside the line dividing inland waters from the high 
seas, as defined in section 2 of the act of February 19, 1895, as 
amended (33 U.S.C. 151) and in 33 CFR part 82.
    (d) After January 31, 1997, each person serving as a rating forming 
part of a navigational watch on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tons or 
more shall hold an STCW endorsement certifying him or her as qualified 
to perform the navigational function at the support level, in accordance 
with STCW (incorporated by reference in Sec. 12.01-3).
    (e) After January 31, 2002, each person serving as a rating forming 
part of a watch in a manned engine-room or

[[Page 204]]

designated to perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine-room, on 
a seagoing ship driven by main propulsion machinery of 750 kW [1,000 hp] 
of propulsion power or more, shall hold an STCW endorsement certifying 
him or her as qualified to perform the marine-engineering function at 
the support level, in accordance with STCW.
    (f) Notwithstanding any other rule in this part, no unlicensed 
person serving on any of the following vessels needs hold an STCW 
endorsement, either because he or she is exempt from application of the 
STCW, or because the vessels are not subject to further obligation under 
STCW, on account of their special operating conditions as small vessels 
engaged in domestic voyages:
    (1) Small passenger vessels subject to subchapter T or K of title 
46, CFR.
    (2) Vessels of less than 200 GRT (other than passenger vessels 
subject to subchapter H of title 46, CFR).
    (3) Uninspected passenger vessels as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101(42).
    (4) Fishing vessels as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101(11)(a).
    (5) Fishing vessels used as fish-tender vessels as defined in 46 
U.S.C. 2101(11)(c).
    (6) Barges as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101(2), including non-self-
propelled mobile offshore-drilling units.
    (7) Vessels operating exclusively on the Great Lakes.

[CGFR 65-50, 30 FR 16640, Dec. 30, 1965, as amended by CGD 95-062, 62 FR 
34535, June 26, 1997; USCG-1999-5610, 67 FR 66068, Oct. 30, 2002]