Survey standards for domestic commercial vessels in-survey

All domestic commercial vessels under the national law are required to meet design, construction, stability and equipment standards.

A certificate of survey is evidence that a vessel has been surveyed and meets specified standards for design, construction, stability and safety equipment that apply to the vessel.

These standards are set out in Marine Order 503 (Certificate of Survey – national law) 2018 [1]. For some kinds of vessels, these requirements are modified by our general exemptions [2].

Access the My Boat system [3] for guidance on how to keep your vessel compliant.

If your vessel is required to have a certificate of survey, the standards that apply to it depend on which of the categories below the vessel belongs to.

All vessels must be surveyed according to the schedule laid out in marine order 503 [4].

Some vessels are required to have a load line certificate issued under marine order 507. These vessels will need to comply with the load lines convention [5] or section 7 of the Uniform Shipping Laws Code [6].

A new survey regime applies [7] from 1 July 2018.

Show all / Hide all

Existing vessels

Under section 22 of marine order 503, a vessel is an ‘existing vessel’ if the vessel fits within one of the following elements:

Vessel	Elements
Vessel that was constructed before 1 July 2013	The vessel was: entitled, or was issued with a survey certificate to operate in connection with a commercial, governmental or research activity, for the two-year period ending on 30 June 2013. entitled to operate, or the survey certificate issued to the vessel, was provided for under an Australian state, territory or Commonwealth law. not a foreign vessel at any time in the two-year period.
Vessel that was being constructed on 30 June 2013	Design approval for the vessel was lodged and approved before 1 July 2013 for use in connection with a commercial, governmental or research activity. The vessel has been used in connection with a commercial, governmental or research activity in the two-year period after its completion, if construction is complete.
Vessel that had not commenced construction before 1 July 2013	The vessel was being constructed on 30 June 2016. The vessel has design approval that was lodged before 1 July 2013, and subsequently approved, for use in connection with a commercial, governmental or research activity. It has been used in connection with a commercial, governmental or research activity in the two-year period after its completion, if construction is complete.

The summary of standards for existing vessels, new vessels, and transitional vessels table outlines the application standards and survey requirements for existing vessels.

Transitional vessels

Transitional vessels are existing vessels which have been altered or modified, changed operations or the geographical area of operation.

Under marine order 503 a ‘transitional vessel’ is an existing vessel that has:

had any of the changes set out in Schedule 1 of marine order 503, or
had a certificate of survey that ceased to be in force for a period of at least two years.

Transitional vessels can meet an alternative set of standards instead of complying with the full requirements that apply to new vessels. The standards that apply to a transitional vessel depend on what changes have been made.

This concept flowchart [8] shows the types of changes that if made to an existing vessel will result in it being a transitional vessel.

The alternative standards that apply to transitional vessels are set out in schedule 2 of marine order 503 [1]. Alternatively, a transitional vessel can voluntarily meet the standards in the National Standard for Commercial Vessels [9] and specific parts of the Uniform Shipping Laws Code [6] that apply to new vessels.

The summary of standards for existing vessels, new vessels, and transitional vessels table outlines survey requirements for transitional vessels.

Examples of transitional vessels

The following scenario gives an example of the standards that will apply to a transitional vessel based on the change made.

Examples
Current certification	Existing vessel that is a Class 2 work boat built to USL Code operating in partially smooth waters. Vessel has been operating commercially as a class 2 vessel since 2010 and has had a survey certificate in force for the vessel since that time.
Proposed change	Vessel owner proposes to use the vessel as a class 1 passenger vessel (more than 12 passengers) with overnight operations. This change is an upgrade in service category and operations. A change of this kind is listed in schedule 1 of marine order 503. This means the vessel becomes a transitional vessel.
Standards	Clause 1 of schedule 2: a vessel that becomes transitional in these circumstances can comply with the standards in Table 1 of schedule 2 of marine order 503. The vessel needs to be upgraded so that it meets the following standards necessary for a passenger vessel (in addition to continuing to comply with relevant Sections and Sub-sections of the USL Code specified in Table 1): Arrangement, accommodation and personal safety—NSCV Part C1 Fire safety—NSCV Part C4 Electrical—RCD fitted in accordance with AS/NZS 3000 LPG appliances—NSCV Part C5C LPG engines—NSCV Part C5D Intact stability—NSCV Part C6 Safety equipment—NSCV Part C7A (other than Annex I) Communication equipment—NSCV Part C7B Navigation equipment—NSCV Part C7C Anchoring system—NSCV Part C7D (if windage profile has changed) Alternatively, the owner of the vessel can voluntarily opt to bring the vessel up to full compliance with the standards that would apply to it if it were a new vessel.
Survey regime	Marine order 503 [1]

New vessels

Under marine order 503 a vessel is 'new' if it is not an ‘existing' or a ‘transitional'.

New vessels must meet the standards for construction, subdivision, stability, fire safety, machinery, and associated systems and equipment set out in the National Standard for Commercial Vessels and select sections of the Uniform Shipping Laws Code [6].

The summary of standards for existing vessels, new vessels, and transitional vessels table outlines survey requirements for transitional vessels.

Heritage vessels

Heritage vessels can fall into several different categories:

Vessel circumstances	Certificate of survey required	Vessel standards	Survey regime	Related legislation
The vessel was required to have a certificate of survey on 30 June 2013 and is otherwise 'existing'	Yes	Standards that applied on 30 June 2013, except that safety equipment must comply with the National Standard for Commercial Vessels	Marine order 503 [1]	Marine order 503 [1]
The vessel was not required to have a certificate of survey on 30 June 2013 and is otherwise 'existing'	No	Standards that applied on 30 June 2013, except that safety equipment must comply with the National Standard for Commercial Vessels	None	Exemption 2 [10] Division 5
The vessel is not 'existing' eg the vessel or its operations changed or began after 30 June 2013	Yes	As per an approved vessel management plan	As per an approved vessel management plan, with a minimum of a renewal survey every five years	Exemption 2 [10] Section 6

Vessel circumstances

Certificate of survey required

Vessel standards

Survey regime

Related legislation

The vessel was required to have a certificate of survey on 30 June 2013 and is otherwise 'existing'

Yes

Standards that applied on 30 June 2013, except that safety equipment must comply with the National Standard for Commercial Vessels

Marine order 503 [1]

The vessel was not required to have a certificate of survey on 30 June 2013 and is otherwise 'existing'

No

Standards that applied on 30 June 2013, except that safety equipment must comply with the National Standard for Commercial Vessels

None

Exemption 2 [10]

Division 5

The vessel is not 'existing' eg the vessel or its operations changed or began after 30 June 2013

Yes

As per an approved vessel management plan

As per an approved vessel management plan, with a minimum of a renewal survey every five years

Exemption 2 [10]

Section 6

If the vessel is ‘existing’ you can choose whether to continue to operate as an ‘existing vessel’ or to develop a new vessel management plan

Unpowered barges

Unless exempt under Exemption 2 [10] or Exemption 40 [11] unpowered barges must have a certificate of survey.

However under Exemption 41 [12] they may not need to meet all of the survey standards mentioned in marine order 503.

Vessels over 35 metres

Marine order 503 requires vessels 35 metres and above to be constructed to class rules for construction, machinery, anchoring equipment and electrical installation aspects of the vessel. The NSCV applies to all other aspects of the vessel.

However, existing and transitional vessels which were not required to be surveyed by a recognised organisation prior to 1 July 2013 are not required to meet class rules. See our information on survey frequency [4].

Summary of standards for existing vessels, new vessels, and transitional vessels

Standards	Existing vessel	New vessel	Transitional vessel
Construction, subdivision, stability, fire safety, and machinery and associated systems	Existing vessels surveyed before 1 July 2013—the standards that applied to the vessel when it was last surveyed Existing vessels not surveyed before 1 July 2013—the standards that applied to the vessel when design was approved	New vessels that are Class 1, 2 or 3—NSCV Part C1, Part C3, Part C4, Part C5, and Part C6. Plus the following Sections of the USL Code: USL Code Section 5, subsection C, clauses C.42 to C.47, C.49 to C.53, C.54.2, C.55 to C.57, C.61.1, C.61.2a, C.61.3, C.61.3a, C.61.4, C.61.5, C.67, C.68, C.69.1 to C.69.6 and C.70 to C.73 USL Code Section 5, subsection D, clauses D.9 to D.15 and D.18 to D.36; and USL Code Section 7 New vessels that are Class 4—NSCV Part F2 New vessels that are Fast Craft—NSCV Part F1	Transitional vessels that are Class 1, 2 or 3—the standards Table 1 in schedule 2 of marine order 503 Transitional vessels that are Class 4—NSCV Part F2 Transitional Vessels that are Fast Craft—standards in Table 1 of schedule 2 of marine order 503 Alternately, these vessels can apply the standards that would apply if the vessel was a ‘new vessel’
Equipment standards	The standards that applied to the vessel on 30 June 2013	New vessels that are Class 1, 2 or 3—NSCV Part C7B to C7D New vessels that are Class 4—NSCV Part F2 New vessels that are Fast Craft—NSCV Part F1	Transitional vessels that are Class 1, 2 and 3—NSCV Part C7B, C7C C7D Transitional vessels that are Class 4—NSCV Part F2 Transitional Vessels that are Fast Craft—NSCV Part F1 Alternately, these vessels can apply the standards that would apply if the vessel was a ‘new vessel’
Safety equipment standards	Existing vessels that are Class 1, 2 or 3—the transitional safety equipment requirements in Annex I of NSCV Part C7A Existing vessels that are Class 4—the transitional safety equipment requirements in Part F2 Existing vessels that are Fast Craft—the transitional safety equipment requirements in Part F1	New vessels that are Class 1, 2 and 3—NSCV Part C7A New vessels that are Class 4—NSCV Part F2 New vessels that are Fast Craft—NSCV Part F1	Transitional vessels that are Class 1, 2 and 3—NSCV Part C7A (other than Annex I) Transitional vessels that are Cass 4—NSCV Part F2 Transitional vessels that are Fast Craft—NSCV Part F1 Alternately, these vessels can apply the standards that would apply if the vessel was a ‘new vessel’
Survey regime	Marine order 503 [1]

Related forms

Related information

Note: this page was previously published as guidance notice AMSA 729