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Transferring ownership of an Australian General Register vessel

A vessel registered on the Australian General Shipping Register must be updated with the new owner's name if the ownership changes.

If you buy a vessel that is registered on the Australian General Shipping Register you must notify the Registrar of the change of ownership within 14 days of the purchase of the vessel through a transfer of ownership. 

If the vessel’s ownership is transferred by any other lawful means,  for example by court order or to the beneficiary of a deceased estate, the ownership of the vessel may be transmitted by a transmission of ownership by operation of law. 

If an Australian registered vessel is sold to a non-Australian or to a new owner who does not wish to maintain the registration, an application can be made to close the registration.

Which transfer do you need to conduct?

Transfer of ownership

What do I need to do?

To transfer the ownership of your ship, you need to:

Transmission of ownership by operation of law

What do I need to do?

To transmit the ownership of your ship, you need to:

Last updated: 

Friday 7 July 2023