(a) The application for the assignment of load lines and certificate for a foreign vessel belonging to (or which will belong to) either a country ratifying or acceding to the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966, or to a country with which the United States of America has a reciprocal load line agreement in effect shall be made by the Government whose flag the vessel flies, or will fly. The application may be made direct to the American Bureau of Shipping, or after receiving the Commandant's approval, to a recognized classification society which that country has requested as an assigning and issuing authority. When the load line assignment and certificate are authorized pursuant to the requirements in this part, the certificate must contain a statement that it has been issued at the request of a specific Government, which shall be named therein.

(1) When the load line assignment is performed under the applicable regulations in this subchapter, the assigning and issuing authority shall transmit to the requesting Government at the earliest practicable date, one copy of each certificate issued, the load line survey report used for computing the freeboard, and the freeboard computations. For information, the assigning and issuing authority shall also notify the Commandant of the names of the vessel and the Government involved and the date and place where the work was done.

(b) For a foreign vessel of a country not included in paragraph (a) of this section, the owner, master, or agent normally shall apply in writing to the American Bureau of Shipping, or to any other recognized assigning and issuing authority after it has been approved by the Commandant, for the assignment, survey, and certification of load lines, or for reissue of a load line certificate, as may be necessary for the vessel to clear ports of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, or other U.S. possessions. Normally the same requirements, conditions, procedures, distribution of applicable certificates, etc., shall be applied to such foreign vessels which are applied to similar U.S.-flag vessels of 150 gross tons or over.

[CGFR 68-60, 33 FR 10058, July 12, 1968, as amended by CGFR 68-126, 34 FR 9013, June 5, 1969]