33 CFR §96.340

1. (a)Your U.S. vessel engaged on a foreign voyage must hold a valid Safety Management Certificate if it carries more than 12 passengers, or if it is a tanker, bulk freight vessel, freight vessel, or a self-propelled mobile offshore drilling unit of 500 gross tons or more.
2. (b)Your U.S. vessel may voluntarily hold a valid Safety Management Certificate even if your vessel is not required to by paragraph (a) of this section.
3. (c)Your U.S. vessel may only be issued a Safety Management Certificate or have it renewed when your company holds a valid Document of Compliance certificate issued under § 96.330 of this part and the vessel has completed a satisfactory safety management audit of the vessel's safety management system set out in § 96.320 of this part.
4. (d)A copy of your vessel's valid Safety Management Certificate must be on board all U.S. and foreign vessels which carry more than 12 passengers, and must be on board a tanker, bulk freight vessel, freight vessel, or a self-propelled mobile offshore drilling unit of 500 gross tons or more, when engaged on foreign voyages or within U.S. waters.
5. (e)A Safety Management Certificate is valid for 60 months. The validity of the Safety Management Certificate is based on—
   1. (1)A satisfactory initial safety management audit;
   2. (2)A satisfactory intermediate verification audit requested by the vessel's responsible person, completed between the 24th and 36th month of the certificate's period of validity; and
   3. (3)A vessel's company holding a valid Document of Compliance certificate. When a company's Document of Compliance certificate expires or is revoked, the Safety Management Certificate for the company-owned vessel(s) is invalid.
6. (f)Renewal of a Safety Management Certificate requires the completion of a satisfactory safety management system audit which meets all of the requirements of subpart B in this part. A renewal of a Safety Management Certificate cannot be started unless the company which owns the vessel holds a valid Document of Compliance certificate.
7. (g)Only the Coast Guard may revoke a Safety Management Certificate from a U.S. vessel. The Safety Management Certificate will be revoked if—
   1. (1)The vessel's responsible person has not completed an intermediate safety management audit required by paragraph (e)(2) of this section; or
   2. (2)Major non-conformities are found in the vessel's safety management system during a safety management audit or other related survey or inspection being completed by the Coast Guard or the recognized organization chosen by the vessel's responsible person.