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Transfer, revoke or suspend certificates for a domestic commercial vessel

Transfer, suspend or revoke a certificate or approval for a domestic commercial vessel. You may need to transfer the certificate or approval when you sell or purchase a vessel.

Transfer a certificate or approval 

You can transfer a domestic commercial vessel’s certificate or approval to a different owner or operator. This may happen when (for example): 

  • you sell or give the vessel as a gift 
  • someone other than the current certificate holder is going to operate the vessel 
  • you transfer the vessel as part of a deceased estate. 

You must notify us within 14 days if this occurs. 

Note: certificates of survey or operation, and related exemptions do not provide evidence of: 

  • title or ownership of a vessel 
  • an operator’s competence to operate a certain vessel.  

For evidence of title or ownership, register the vessel on the Australian General Shipping Register. 

To transfer certificates 

Select the certificate or approval type to see the right transfer instructions. 

Certificate of survey and/or load line certificate

Valid certificates 

Apply to transfer valid certificates using AMSA form 521. 

  • Only the new certificate holder can use this form.  
  • You must provide proof of the current certificate holder's agreement to the transfer. Examples of proof include bills of sale, contracts of sale and statutory declarations. 
  • If you hold both a certificate of survey and a load line certificate, you only need to apply once. (Select both options on the application).

Expired certificates 

You cannot transfer a certificate if it has expired. In this case, apply for a certificate of survey and/or load line certificate using AMSA form 521. Select the right option to either: 

  • renew a certificate that has expired within the last 2 years 
  • apply for a new certificate where the previous certificate expired more than 2 years ago. 

Note: If you are changing the vessel’s structure or operation you may need to apply for a new certificate. See Marine Order 503, Schedule 1 for a list of notifiable changes. In this case select the option to: advise of a change to the vessel, its current certificate or a condition on that certificate.

Exemption 02 (non-survey approval) or exemption 40 (class C restricted approval)

Apply to change a certificate or approval holder using AMSA form 579. 

  • Only new certificate holders can use this form. 
  • You must provide proof of the current certificate holder's agreement to the transfer. Examples of proof include bills of sale, contracts of sale and statutory declarations.
Certificate of operation

We cannot transfer certificates of operation.  

Current operator (certificate holder) 

If your certificate of operation lists vessels beside the vessel you are transferring: 

  1. Apply for a certificate of operation using AMSA form 504. 
  2. Select 'Make a change to an existing certificate of operation'. 
  3. Select 'Remove a vessel that is listed on the current certificate of operation'. 
  4. Continue to complete and submit your application. 

If the current certificate only lists the vessel you are transferring:

New operator 

Apply for a certificate of operation using AMSA form 504. 

  • If you don’t have a certificate or want to list the vessel on a separate certificate, select 'Apply for a new certificate of operation'. 
  • If you already have a certificate and want to add the vessel, select 'Make a change to an existing certificate of operation'. Then select all the changes that apply before completing the application.  

New operators must maintain the vessel’s safety management system (SMS).

Revoke a certificate 

We can also revoke certificates or approvals. This may happen when: 

  • you sell a vessel and the new operator does not intend to use the vessel as a domestic commercial vessel 
  • you destroy a vessel or the vessel is no longer fit to operate 
  • you intend to only operate the vessel for recreation. 

Suspend a certificate 

You can apply to suspend a certificate if you do not intend to operate the vessel for a certain period. The suspension does not change the expiry date of the certificate. 

We can suspend these certificates for up to 18 months: 

  • certificate of survey 
  • load line certificate 
  • certificate of operation. 

When the suspension ends 

You must complete any surveys you may have missed during the suspension period. You must complete these surveys before you restart operations. 

If you missed 2 surveys of the same type, you must complete one before you restart operations. 

Forms to revoke or suspend a certificate or approval 

Select your certificate or approval type for instructions to revoke or suspend it: 

Selling vessels listed on the Australian General Shipping Register 

Sellers of vessels on the register must provide buyers with: 

  • bill of sale 
  • the vessel’s original registration certificate. 

Buyer’s must use these documents to: 

Learn more about transferring ownership of an Australian General Register vessel. 

Contact us 

For help transferring, revoking or suspending certificates, contact AMSA Connect.

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Last updated: 14 October 2026

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