🔍 Key Concepts

• U.S. flag vessel certificates and which agency issues them • Difference between international convention certificates (often under SOLAS/Load Line) and national certificates • Which documents may be issued by classification societies or other authorized organizations on behalf of the flag state

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Which of these documents is, by U.S. practice, retained as a certificate that the Coast Guard itself issues, rather than routinely delegating to a class society? • Consider which items are clearly tied to SOLAS or Load Line Conventions and may be delegated to recognized organizations for survey and issuance. • Think about which option looks more like a continuously‑used record or register rather than a statutory certificate.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR which certificates may be issued by a recognized classification society on behalf of the Coast Guard. • Check whether Load Line and Safety Equipment/Construction certificates are explicitly identified as SOLAS/Load Line convention certificates. • Confirm which option is more likely to be a shipboard record maintained by the owner/operator, not a formal USCG‑issued certificate.