[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: 46CFR6.01]

[Page 69-70]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
         CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
 
PART 6_WAIVERS OF NAVIGATION AND VESSEL INSPECTION LAWS AND 
 
Sec. 6.01  Procedures for effecting individual waivers of navigation 

and vessel inspection laws and regulations.

    (a) It is hereby found necessary in the interest of national defense 
to waive compliance with the navigation and vessel inspection laws 
administered by the Coast Guard, as well as the regulations issued 
thereunder and published in 33 CFR chapter I or in this chapter, to the 
extent and in the manner and upon the terms and conditions as set forth 
in this section.
    (b) An application requesting that a waiver be made effective, with 
respect to a particular vessel, may be made by any authorized 
representative of an agency of the United States Government or any other 
interested person (including the master, agent, or owner of the vessel 
involved). Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, the 
application shall be in writing. The application shall be delivered to 
the Coast Guard District Commander or to his designated representative 
at the port or place where the vessel is located. In the case of a 
vessel in any foreign port or place, the application shall be made to 
the designated representative of the Commandant at such port or place, 
or if the Coast Guard has not established facilities in such port or 
place, to the nearest designated representative of the Commandant at a 
port or place where such facilities have been established. Every 
application shall contain a statement of the particular provisions of 
law with respect to which waiver of compliance is requested, a 
certification that the waiver of compliance with such laws with respect 
to the vessel involved is necessary in the interest of national defense 
and, an outline of the facts upon which such certification is based. The 
Coast Guard District Commander (or his designated representative or the 
designated representative of the Commandant, as the case may be) shall 
promptly examine every application for the purpose of determining 
whether the necessity for prompt action is such as to require that the 
waiver be made effective by him without reference to the Commandant. In 
any case in which it appears to the Coast Guard officer concerned that 
reference of the application to the Commandant for action would not 
delay the sailing of the vessel or otherwise be contrary to the interest 
of national defense, the application shall be so referred. In all other 
cases, such Coast Guard officer shall give immediate consideration to 
the application and if he reaches the conclusion that the urgency of the 
situation outweighs the marine hazard involved, then such waiver shall 
be made effective in regard to such vessel to the extent and under the 
circumstances specified by him.
    (c) The Coast Guard officer making such a waiver effective pursuant 
to paragraph (b) of this section shall immediately prepare, in 
triplicate, an order setting forth the name of the vessel involved, the 
laws (also regulations, if any) with respect to which the waiver is 
effective, the extent to which compliance with such laws (also 
regulations, if any) is waived, and the period for which the waiver 
shall be effective. If practicable, one copy of this order shall be 
delivered to the master

[[Page 70]]

of the vessel involved before such vessel sails. In any case where the 
order is not delivered to the master, it shall be delivered to the 
owner, operator, or agent of the vessel without delay. One copy of the 
order shall be transmitted to the Commandant and the remaining copy kept 
on file.
    (d) In any case of extreme urgency the application for a waiver may 
be made orally, and if the Coast Guard District Commander (or his 
designated representative or the designated representative of the 
Commandant, as the case may be) reaches the conclusion referred to in 
paragraph (b) of this section, the waiver shall be made effective 
without further delay, subject to the condition that the application be 
reduced to writing and delivered within such period after the date of 
the oral request as the Coast Guard officer making the waiver effective 
shall specify in the order.
    (e) No penalty shall be imposed because of failure to comply with 
any provision of law (or regulation, if any), the waiver of which has 
been made effective pursuant to the requirements in this section.

[CGFR 51-10, 16 FR 1959, Mar. 1, 1951. Redesignated by CGFR 69-123, 34 
FR 19076, Dec. 2, 1969; CGD 96-041, 61 FR 50726, Sept. 27, 1996; USCG-
2004-18884, 69 FR 58342, Sept. 30, 2004]