Uniform Shipping Laws code

The Uniform Shipping Laws code (USL code) provides standards for the design, construction and operations of domestic commercial vessels in Australia.

The USL code was first published in 1979 in response to the need for a common national safety standard for commercial vessels. The National Standard for Commercial Vessels [1] has largely replaced the USL code for all new domestic commercial vessels.

Access the My Boat system [2] for guidance on how to keep your vessel compliant.

Section	Title	Year of publication	Applicable region
1	Introduction, definitions and general requirements	1993	All regions [3]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [4]
		2008	Queensland [5]
		2008	South Australia [6]
2	Qualifications and manning: trading vessels	1991	All regions [7]
2	Qualifications and manning: trading vessels	2008	All regions [8]
3	Qualifications and manning: fishing vessels	1991	All regions [9]
3	Qualifications and manning: fishing vessels	2008	All regions [10]
5	Construction
5A	Preliminary	1989	All regions [11]
5A	Preliminary	2008	All regions [12]
5B	Structural strength	1989	All regions [13]
5B	Structural strength	2008	All regions [14]
5C	Watertight subdivision of passenger vessels	1993	All regions [15]
5C	Watertight subdivision of passenger vessels	2008	All regions [16]
5D	Watertight subdivision of class 2 and class 3 vessels	1989	All regions [17]
5D	Watertight subdivision of class 2 and class 3 vessels	2008	All regions [18]
5E	Passengers, passenger accommodation, guard rails and bulwarks	1989	All regions [19]
5E		2008	All regions [20]
5F	Structural fire protection	1989	All regions [21]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [22]
		2008	Queensland [23]
		2008	South Australia [24]
5G	Design loading	1989	All regions [25]
5G	Design loading	2008	All regions [26]
5H	Aluminium	1993	All regions [27]
5H	Aluminium	2008	All regions [28]
5I	Copper nickel	1989	All regions [29]
5I	Copper nickel	2008	All regions [30]
5J	Ferro-cement	1989	All regions [31]
5J	Ferro-cement	2008	All regions [32]
5K	Fibre reinforced plastic	1993	All regions [33]
5K	Fibre reinforced plastic	2008	All regions [34]
5L	Steel	1989	All regions [35]
5L	Steel	2008	All regions [36]
5M	Timber	1989	All regions [37]
5M	Timber	2008	All regions [38]
6	Crew accommodation	1989	All regions [39]
6	Crew accommodation	2008	All regions [40]
7	Load lines	1989	All regions [41]
7	Load lines	2008	All regions [42]
8	Stability
8A	Preliminary	1993	All regions [43]
8A	Preliminary	2008	All regions [44]
8B	Simplified presentation of stability	1993	All regions [45]
8C	Stability criteria	1993	All regions [46]
9	Engineering	1993	All regions [47]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [48]
		2008	Queensland [49]
		2008	South Australia [50]
10	Life saving appliances	1993	All regions [51]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [52]
		2008	Queensland [53]
		2008	South Australia [54]
11	Fire appliances	1989	All regions [55]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [56]
		2008	Queensland, South Australia [57]
12	Radio equipment	1989	All regions [58]
12	Radio equipment	2008	All regions [59]
13	Miscellaneous equipment	1989	All regions [60]
		2008	Commonwealth, New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia [61]
		2008	Queensland [62]
14	Surveys and certificates of survey	1993	All regions [63]
14	Surveys and certificates of survey	2008	All regions [64]
15	Emergency procedures and safety of navigation	1993	All regions [65]
15	Emergency procedures and safety of navigation	2008	All regions [66]
16	Collision regulations	1989	All regions [67]
16	Collision regulations	2008	All regions [68]
17	River Murray traffic regulations	1989	All regions [69]
17	River Murray traffic regulations	2008	All regions [70]
18	Hire and drive vessels	1989	All regions [71]
18	Hire and drive vessels	2008	All regions [72]
	Amendments	1993	Amendment list 1 [73]
		1996	Amendment list 2 [74]
		1996	Amendment list 3 [75]
		1997	Amendment list 4 [76]
		2007	Amendment list 5 [77]
		2007	Amendment list 6 [78]
		2007	Amendment list 6 attachment A [79]
		2008	Amendment list 7 [80]
		2010	Amendment list 8 [81]
		2010	Amendment list 9 [82]

Links
[1] https://www.amsa.gov.au/about/regulations-and-standards/national-standard-commercial-vessels-nscv
[2] https://apps.amsa.gov.au/MyBoat/
[3] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/972/download?token=PJgtqxNw
[4] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/973/download?token=65ySvQiw
[5] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/974/download?token=rlJOLf_M
[6] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/975/download?token=7dnulc_c
[7] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/976/download?token=tl-luAdz
[8] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/977/download?token=-JRYVtX-
[9] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/978/download?token=c1D0CclD
[10] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/979/download?token=wO1JYDZq
[11] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/980/download?token=ECA0mCdE
[12] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/981/download?token=taNHp_63
[13] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/982/download?token=ik1RMnjJ
[14] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/983/download?token=m2jFsJ-E
[15] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/984/download?token=A_PxK8w-
[16] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/985/download?token=XeUoo1Hx
[17] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/986/download?token=PopHRjMp
[18] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/987/download?token=t3Bl1bD_
[19] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/988/download?token=Xxsz4XM0
[20] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/989/download?token=9T6bsH_e
[21] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/990/download?token=2vNZJWuY
[22] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/991/download?token=S1Lb9O_W
[23] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/992/download?token=K0z5-ncI
[24] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/993/download?token=w0xjiGyX
[25] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/994/download?token=BPVQFJIQ
[26] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/995/download?token=DCLcTUgt
[27] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/996/download?token=2LnfnLt3
[28] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/997/download?token=u3Vf2c9l
[29] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/998/download?token=8hWPorHM
[30] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/999/download?token=juEyppb6
[31] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1000/download?token=znVVb6Km
[32] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1001/download?token=p2vquf0j
[33] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1002/download?token=jTlZtecl
[34] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1003/download?token=7gy_BcOa
[35] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1004/download?token=RSUQa86g
[36] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1005/download?token=KjwLWu7p
[37] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1006/download?token=RC53UDoj
[38] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1007/download?token=qbgd7TQ_
[39] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1008/download?token=VETEqGeX
[40] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1009/download?token=bGwM0Uqg
[41] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1010/download?token=8pADhiq5
[42] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1012/download?token=WTPcXD6V
[43] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1013/download?token=gUPVcF65
[44] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1011/download?token=Ecq8u5tT
[45] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1015/download?token=3O7LDbW3
[46] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1016/download?token=ZPomMfg_
[47] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1017/download?token=ckuQom4x
[48] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1018/download?token=_ZgZakum
[49] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1019/download?token=JGWJANyv
[50] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1020/download?token=ZL93kDRi
[51] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1021/download?token=3B2WN9ku
[52] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1022/download?token=QFLHvbq0
[53] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1023/download?token=rBj-DWwu
[54] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1024/download?token=uQjquMkB
[55] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1025/download?token=NOKrK0zC
[56] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1026/download?token=bPsKtCLZ
[57] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1027/download?token=Jw80RoVm
[58] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1028/download?token=YcXI2R_1
[59] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1029/download?token=CDQ-i8PH
[60] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1030/download?token=a3pvDHjc
[61] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1031/download?token=eCOfNm2k
[62] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1032/download?token=l5OJK6pd
[63] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1033/download?token=0WZM5Xah
[64] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1034/download?token=VK08Pq4T
[65] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1035/download?token=Jn0413pg
[66] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1036/download?token=YyGWnDkc
[67] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1038/download?token=7PQ3Kb00
[68] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1039/download?token=hRLMl5f6
[69] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1040/download?token=n6qMpyWn
[70] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1041/download?token=3ixoXiPo
[71] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1042/download?token=vDNZH3Qo
[72] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1043/download?token=aVvThF6l
[73] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1044/download?token=OclQ4Wg9
[74] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1045/download?token=TAhhf7rT
[75] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1046/download?token=eFtNFUMy
[76] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1047/download?token=o-tJ_nTT
[77] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1048/download?token=4IencAVp
[78] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1049/download?token=nFtA-I_d
[79] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1050/download?token=SNxBMVL4
[80] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1051/download?token=3ShUJgDE
[81] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1052/download?token=xxAoYL9G
[82] https://www.amsa.gov.au/file/1053/download?token=u1F7gmYW