CFR > Title 33 - Navigation and Navigable Waters > CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY > SUBCHAPTER F—VESSEL OPERATING REGULATIONS (parts 95 to 96) > PART 96—RULES FOR THE SAFE OPERATION OF VESSELS AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS > SUBPART C—How Will Safety Management Systems Be Certificated and Enforced? (§96.300 to §96.390) > 96.360—Interim Safety Management Certificate: what is it and when can it be used?

96.360—Interim Safety Management Certificate: what is it and when can it be used?

(a) A responsible person may apply for an Interim Safety Management Certificate when—
(1) A responsible person takes delivery of a new U.S. vessel; or
(2) Takes responsibility for the management of a U.S. vessel which is new to the responsible person or their company.
(b) An Interim Safety Management Certificate is valid for 6 months. It may be issued to a U.S. vessel which meets the conditions of paragraph (a) of this section, when—
(1) The company's valid Document of Compliance certificate or Interim Document of Compliance certificate applies to that vessel type;
(2) The company's safety management system for the vessel includes the key elements of a safety management system, set out in § 96.220, applicable to this new type of vessel;
(3) The company's safety management system has been assessed during the safety management audit to issue the Document of Compliance certificate or demonstrated for the issuance of the Interim Document of Compliance certificate;
(4) The Master and senior officers of the vessel are familiar with the safety management system and the planned set up arrangements;
(5) Written documented instructions have been extracted from the safety management system and given to the vessel prior to sailing;
(6) The company plans an internal audit of the vessel within three months; and
(7) The relevant information from the safety management system is written in English, and in any other language understood by the vessel's personnel.