Your compliance requirements will be affected by the service category of your vessel.
Use the following table to work out your vessel service category. For example, a passenger vessel carrying 30 people and operating out to 15 nautical miles has a service category of 1C.
| Vessel use | Indicated by |
|---|---|
| Passenger vessel (13 or more passengers) | 1 |
| Non-passenger vessel (up to 12 passengers) | 2 |
| Fishing vessel | 3 |
| Hire and drive vessel used by the hirer only for recreational purposes | 4 |
| Operational area | Indicated by |
|---|---|
| Unlimited domestic operations (no longer available to domestic commercial vessels). Vessels operating in A waters must be Australian regulated vessels under the Navigation Act 2012. | A |
| Extended offshore operations (beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, a recognised island but within the exclusive economic zone) | B Extended |
| Offshore operations (within 200 nautical miles from the baseline of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, a recognised island but within the exclusive economic zone) | B |
| Restricted offshore operations (within 30 nautical miles from the baseline of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, a recognised island; within 50 nautical miles of the baseline of Queensland, within the Great Barrier Reef Region or the Torres Strait Zone; whilst remaining within the exclusive economic zone) | C |
| Restricted offshore operations—specified areas | C Restricted |
| Partially smooth water operations | D |
| Smooth water operations | E |
Sheltered waters boundaries
For information on sheltered waters boundaries (D or E operational areas) in any state or territory, contact your local marine safety agency.
Last updated: 11 August 2025