Laws, Regulations, Policies and Guidance

The following Federal laws and regulations, and Coast Guard policies and guidance apply to the U.S. Coast Guard's marine safety investigation program.

United States Code

• Title 46, United States Code, Chapters 61 and 63 - Reporting Marine Casualties and Investigating Marine Casualties
• Title 46, United States Code, Chapter 77 - Suspension and Revocation

Additional information on these and other U.S. Code citations can be found at United States Code at GovInfo

Code of Federal Regulations

• Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart 1.07 - Enforcement; Civil and Criminal Penalty Proceedings
• Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20 - Rules of Practice, Procedure, and Evidence for Formal Administrative Proceedings of the Coast Guard
• Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 140, Subpart C - Investigations (Outer Continental Shelf Activities/General)
• Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 146 - Operations (Outer Continental Shelf Activities (see §§ 146.30, 146.35, 146.40, 146.301, and 146.303)
• Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 4 - Marine Casualties and Investigations
• Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 5 - Marine Investigation Regulations - Personnel Action
• Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 197, Subpart B - Commercial Diving Operations (see §§ 197.484 and 197.486)

Additional information on these and other U.S. Code of Federal Regulation citations can be found at United States CFR at GovInfo

Coast Guard Directives

• COMDTINST M16000.10A - USCG Marine Safety Manual, Volume V:  Investigations and Enforcement

Additional information on these and other Coast Guard Directives can be found at CG-612 Directives and Publications Division

Coast Guard Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVICs)

• NVIC 01-15 - Marine Casualty Reporting Procedures Guide with Associated Standard Interpretations
• NVIC 05-17 - Reporting and Investigation of Marine Casualties Where the United States is a Substantially Interested State (SIS)

Additional information on these and other Coast Guard NVICs can be found at USCG Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars

Coast Guard Interagency Agreements - Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Agreements (MOAs)

• NTSB-USCG MOU - Memorandum of Understanding between the National Transportation Safety Board and the United States Coast Guard Regarding Marine Casualty Investigations
• MSC-USCG MOA - Memorandum of Agreement between Commander, Military Sealift Command and U.S. Coast Guard
• USACE-USCG MOU - Memorandum of Understanding between the United States Coast Guard and the United States Army Corps of Engineers
• BSEE-USCG MOA (OCS-5) - Memorandum of Agreement between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement - U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Coast Guard - Department of Homeland Security:  Incident Notification & Investigations
• BSEE-USCG MOA (OCS-2) - Memorandum of Agreement between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement - U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Coast Guard - Department of Homeland Security: Civil Penalties
• MARAD-USCG MOU - Memorandum of Understanding between United States Maritime Administration and Coast Guard Regarding Inspection and Certification of Maritime Administration Vessels