MARAD Small Vessel Waiver Program – American Vessel Documentation

This collection of information is required to obtain a waiver of the U.S.-build and other requirements of the Passenger Services Act (46 U.S.C. 55103) and will be used by the Maritime Administration to determine if the applicant is entitled to a waiver.

It is now possible for certain foreign-built vessels, or vessels with no documentation, to gain a waiver of the U.S.-build requirement in order to conduct limited commercial passenger operations in the United States. Some restrictions apply. Once a waiver is obtained, it becomes part of the vessel’s documentation and stays with the vessel if it is sold.

Basic Eligibility Requirements
- (a) This vessel is at least three years old.
- (b) This vessel, when in service, will not carry more than 12 passengers.
- (c) The intended use must be to carry passengers only.
- (d) The vessel is be owned by a U.S.-Citizen.
Activities such as carriage of cargo, commercial fishing, towing, dredging and salvage do not qualify for this program. Sport fishing is permitted as long as the fish caught are not sold commercially. This is not a waiver of any vessel documentation, vessel manning or vessel inspection requirement.
1. Name of the Vessel*

Please provide the name of the vessel as it is registered or documented.
3. Vessel Official Number (or Hull Identification No., or State No.) * :*

Provide the USCG documentation number for the requested vessel. If the vessel is not documented, provide some form of identification number such as a state registration number or hull identification number
2. Owner Information*
First Last
Complete owner information. Applications are only accepted by (or from organizations representing) the owner of the vessel.
Address of Managing Owner/Entity
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Telephone
Email*
Fax
4. Date of Vessel Construction * :
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Provide date of build. Vessels must be at least three (3) years old to be eligible for the waiver program.
5. Place of Construction * :

State place of construction. If the vessel is of probable U.S.- build with no construction documentation, please state “no documentation” or “unknown, probable U.S.”
6. Size, capacity and net tonnage of the vessel.
Size * : Net Tons * : Capacity * :
Enter size, passenger capacity, and net tonnage.
7. Intended commercial use of the vessel * :
Tell us how you plan on using the vessel commercially. Use for commercial purposes other than for carrying passengers for hire is not permitted. Please also refer to “BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.”
8. List all States(s) of intended operation and trade ("All States" is not acceptable)* :
Please state your intended area of operation as MARAD will not grant a waiver for “all coasts” or “all States.” States where the vessel will operate must be listed in order for MARAD to determine if there will be any adverse impact on current operators or shipyards in a given region. The waiver, if granted, limits the operation of the vessel to the geographic area MARAD specifies.
9. A statement on the impact this waiver will have on other commercial passenger vessel operators, including a statement describing the operations of existing operators * :
MARAD will not issue a waiver if it will cause an undue adverse effect on vessels built in the United States and already operating in a similar business. Please check to make sure your requested region is not already saturated with passenger vessels.
10. A statement on the impact this waiver will have on U.S. shipyards * :
Similar to question 9 above, MARAD will not issue a waiver if it will cause an undue adverse effect on United States vessel builders
Your waiver request will be published in the Federal Register as soon as practicable for a period of 30 days for public comment. It is MARAD's goal to make the waiver process as fast and efficient as possible. As a result, you should receive a decision from us on your waiver application within 30 days of the closing of the Federal Register announcement. Please note that the waiver process takes approximately 2-3 months.
Please provide proof of ownership by uploading either the vessel title, registration or other evidence of ownership.
Max. file size: 512 MB.
Legal Capacity in which signed (e.g. Owner, Agent, Trustee, Director)

In addition to the typed name of the signer, show whether that person was acting as an owner, as an agent for an owner, as Trustee, as the personal representative or executor of an estate, or other capacity which entitled that person to sign the MARAD Small Vessel Waiver Application

MARAD Small Vessel Waiver Application
Price:
Total
$0.00
Payment Information

American Express
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Supported Credit Cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Card Number Expiration Date Security Code Cardholder Name
Billing Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State/Province/District ZIP / Postal Code Country

I certify that the information provided is accurate and that I acknowledge that the parties stated within this document assume full responsibility for the transaction. By submitting this request, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge that American Vessel Documentation is a privately owned Documentation preparation service that is not owned or operated by any government agency.
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