(a) You must hold a valid Document of Compliance certificate if you are the responsible person who, or company which, owns a U.S. vessel engaged on foreign voyages, carrying more than 12 passengers, or is a tanker, bulk freight vessel, freight vessel, or a self-propelled mobile offshore drilling unit of 500 gross tons or more.
(b) You may voluntarily hold a valid Document of Compliance certificate, if you are a responsible person who, or a company which, owns a U.S. vessel not included in paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) You will be issued a Document of Compliance certificate only after you complete a satisfactory safety management audit as described in § 96.320 of this part.
(d) All U.S. and foreign vessels that carry more than 12 passengers or a tanker, bulk freight vessel, freight vessel, or a self-propelled mobile offshore drilling unit of 500 gross tons or more, must carry a valid copy of the company's Document of Compliance certificate onboard when on a foreign voyage.
(e) A valid Document of Compliance certificate covers the type of vessel(s) on which a company's safety management system initial safety management audit was based. The validity of the Document of Compliance certificate may be extended to cover additional types of vessels after a satisfactory safety management audit is completed on the company's safety management system which includes those additional vessel types.
(f) A Document of Compliance certificate is valid for 60 months. The company's safety management system must be verified annually by the Coast Guard or by an authorized organization acting on behalf of the U.S. through a safety management verification audit, within three months before or after the certificate's anniversary date.
(g) Only the Coast Guard may revoke a Document of Compliance certificate from a company which owns a U.S. vessel. The Document of Compliance certificate may be revoked if -
(1) The annual safety management audit and system verification required by paragraph (f) of this section is not completed by the responsible person; or
(2) Major non-conformities are found in the company's safety management system during a safety management audit or other related survey or inspection being completed by the Coast Guard or the recognized organization chosen by the company or responsible person.
(3) The Coast Guard or an authorized organization acting on its behalf is denied, or restricted access to, any vessel, record or personnel of the company, at any time necessary to evaluate the safety management system.
(h) When a company's valid Document of Compliance certificate is revoked by the Coast Guard, a satisfactory safety management audit must be completed before a new Document of Compliance certificate for the company's safety management system can be reissued.