Update your registration

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Change of home port

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Change of home port

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What do I need to do?

To change your home port, you need to:

Select a new home port for the vessel

New South Wales

Jervis Bay
Lake Macquarie
Newcastle
Port Kembla
Port Stephens
Sydney
Yamba

Northern Territory

Darwin
Gove Harbour

Queensland

Abell Point
Brisbane
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gladstone
Hamilton Island
Hayman Island
Karumba
Mackay
Maryborough
Mooloolaba
Mourilyan
Port Douglas
Rockhampton
Southport
Townsville
Rosslyn Bay

South Australia

Goolwa
Kingston (SE)
Port Adelaide
Port Lincoln
Wallaroo

Tasmania

Burnie
Devonport
Hobart
Launceston

Victoria

Geelong
Melbourne
Portland

Western Australia

Broome
Dampier
Fremantle
Port Hedland

If you would like a home port that does not appear on this list then you can apply to have a new home port gazetted [1].

Complete the form

Application for change of home port [2]

Pay the application fee

The fee for an application for change of home port is A$111.

You can pay by cheque, credit card, or direct deposit.

Lodge your application form and supporting documentation

Send the original completed forms with the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Wait for us to let you know

We will let you know if there is any additional information that we need to process your application. If we have received everything we need, we will send you a Marking Note with instructions on how to mark your vessel.

Mark your ship

On completion of the marking of the ship the Marking Note must be signed by the owner and witnessed. The original must be returned to us, with any outstanding documents we have requested.

Application completed

On receipt of the Marking Note we will finalise the registration of your ship and send you the registration certificate. The original certificate must be kept aboard the vessel.

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Change of ship name

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Change of ship name

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What do I need to do?

To change your ship name, you need to:

Check the list of registered ships

You need to check the list of registered ships to to ensure that your choice of name has not already been taken. No two vessels on the Australian Shipping Register can have the same name. To check whether a ship name is already registered, you can search the list of registered ships [3].

The following names will not be approved:

Names of existing registered ships, even if they are spelt differently. If the name can be confused with or mistaken for a name that has already been allocated to another vessel, it won’t be approved.
Names that could be offensive.
Names that falsely suggest a connection to the royal family, the Crown, the Commonwealth of Nations, the government, the United Nations, the defence force.
Names that include a prefix that indicate a type of ship ie F.V, M.V, M.Y

Complete the form

Application for change of name of a registered ship [4]

Pay the application fee

The fee for an application for change of ship name is A$111.

You can pay by cheque, credit card, or direct deposit.

Lodge your application form and supporting documentation

Send the original completed forms with the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Wait for us to let you know

We will let you know if there is any additional information that we need to process your application. If we have received everything we need, we will send you a Marking Note with instructions on how to mark your vessel.

Mark your ship

On completion of the marking of the ship the Marking Note must be signed by the owner and witnessed. The original must be returned to the Shipping Registration Office, along with any outstanding documents we have requested.

Application completed

On receipt of the Marking Note we will finalise the registration of your ship and send you the registration certificate. The original certificate must be kept aboard the vessel.

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Alteration to a vessel

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Alteration to a vessel

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What do I need to do?

To tell us about any changes you have made to your vessel, you need to:

Have the person who completed the alteration to your vessel complete an Alteration Certificate

The person who completed the alteration, such as an engine installer or builder, should complete an Alteration certificate [5]. If that person is not available, a person well acquainted with the facts and who knew of the installation/alteration can complete a Statutory Declaration for alteration certificate [6] instead.

Complete the form

Alteration certificate [7]

The registered agent should complete this form to declare the changes have been made to your vessel.

Lodge the forms

Send the original completed Notice of Alteration, Alteration Certificate or Statutory Declaration for Alteration Certificate with the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Wait for us to let you know

We will let you know if there is any additional information that we require to process your application. If we have received everything we require, and the length of the vessel has changed, we will send you a marking note with instructions on how to mark your vessel.

Mark your ship (if required)

If the length of the vessel has changed, on completion of the marking of the ship the marking note must be signed by the owner and witnessed. The original must be returned to us, along with any outstanding documents we have requested.

Application completed

If there is no change to the length of the vessel your application will be finalised without the need to remark the vessel. If there is a change, when we receive the marking note we will finalise the registration of your ship and send you the registration certificate. The original certificate must be kept aboard the vessel.

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Change of name, address or nationality

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Change of name, address or nationality

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What do I need to do?

If you change your name, address or nationality you must inform the Registrar. This applies to a person or an organisation and you will need to:

Complete the form

Notice of change of name, address, or nationality [8]

You will also need to provide evidence showing the reason for the change. For example:

To change a company name you will need a copy of the ASIC certificate of registration on change of name.
For an individual you will need a copy of a marriage certificate or other document showing evidence of the change.
If you change nationality you will need to show a passport or another immigration document.

A change to a person's or company’s nationality may affect the eligibility for the vessel to be registered.

Lodge the form

Send the original completed Notice of change of name, address or nationality with the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Application completed

The new registration certificate with be posted to you.

Update your registration

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New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

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