Is it current? Is a copy in your SMS?
A Certificate of Operation (COO) issued by AMSA (the Australian Maritime Safety Authority) is extremely important for any domestic commercial vessel operating in Australian waters.
It’s a mandatory document that certifies your vessel complies with AMSA’s safety and operational standards under the National Law and Marine Orders.
Without it, operating commercially is illegal – whether fishing, tourism, passenger transport, and freight – YOU NEED TO HOLD A CURRENT AND UPDATED COO.
AMSA inspectors regularly check for valid COOs during vessel inspections.
They will check for, but not limited to:
1. The validity date is current;
2. The owner details are correct;
3. The vessel details are correct including name, UVI, class, type of operation; and
4. Conditions on the COO are being met if applicable.
If you fail any of the above, this can result in your vessel being detained, fines, or even criminal penalties.
If you fancy some serious reading, the rules about Certificate of Operations are contained in:
Or speak to us here at Shorlink, the specialists for peace of mind!
A valid COO gives you peace of mind that your vessel complies with safety standards, protecting all people onboard, business, and reputation.
The Certificate of Operation is your vessel’s “license to operate” commercially in Australia. Ensuring it is valid, up-to-date, and available onboard is critical for legal compliance, safety, and business continuity.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is continuing reminding the marine industry of the importance of complying with the law for the safety of crew and all people on board. This law includes a COO that is compliant, up-to-date and the owner has ensured the Master has access to a copy onboard the vessel.
Here at Shorlink, we include both a copy of the Certificate of Operation and Certificate of Survey (if applicable) in our SMS’s, now in Section 19 of the revised SMS’s.
Earlier this year, AMSA prosecuted an unlicensed charter boat operator under the Marine Safety National Law – Domestic Commercial Vessel (DCV). The prosecution resulted in fines totalling $30,000 for offences that included operating the vessel Lady Royal with paying passengers on board without a certificate of operation or certificate of survey, operating with no unique identifier, and permitting a person to operate a DCV without the required certification.
DON’T FORGET IF YOU SELL OR BUY….
If you sell your domestic commercial vessel, you are required to notify AMSA within 14 days. Please see transferring ownership of a domestic commercial vessel for information on how to notify AMSA.
Certificates of operation cannot be transferred between operators. If you are purchasing a domestic commercial vessel, you will need to apply for a new certificate of operation.
If your operations have changed in any way since your last certificates were issued, then please contact us for further information or you can visit the AMSA website.
RENEWALS! Both the Certificate of Operation and Certificate of Survey (if applicable) are required to be renewed. Please check both your certificates today, and if expired, you will need to contact AMSA immediately to arrange the review which can be done online.
If you have not updated your SMS’s to the revised Schedule 1 of Marine Order 504 YOU NEED TO DO IT NOW!
As mentioned above, Shorlink are communicating with all our clients ensuring their compliancy with a newly redeveloped SMS which reflects all the changes of the revised Marine Order 504, and our SMS’s are now 19 Sections.
If you are unsure about your SMS and/or Certificate of Operation, please feel free to contact our office on (07) 4242 1412.
