(a) The American Bureau of Shipping, with its home office at ABS Plaza, 16855 Northchase Drive, Houston, TX 77060, is hereby appointed as the prime assigning and issuing authority under the provisions of Articles 13 and 16(3) of the 1966 Convention and as directed by 46 U.S.C. 5107. In this capacity the American Bureau of Shipping is empowered to assign load lines, to perform surveys required for load line assignments, and to determine that the position of and the manner of marking vessels has been done in accordance with applicable requirements.

(b) On behalf of the United States of America, the American Bureau of Shipping is authorized to issue or reissue, under its own seal and signature of its officials, the appropriate load line certificates or International Load Line Exemption Certificate as described in subpart 42.50 of this part or in parts 44 to 46, inclusive, of this subchapter. Except for the International Load Line Exemption Certificate, the required load line certificate issued to a specific vessel shall certify to the correctness of the load line marks assigned and marked on the vessel and compliance with authorized conditions, restrictions, and/or exemptions, if any. The International Load Line Exemption Certificate when issued to a vessel shall certify as to the compliance with the information applicable to the vessel.

(c) The designation and delegation to the American Bureau of Shipping as an assigning and issuing authority shall be in effect indefinitely unless for due cause it shall be terminated by proper authority and notice of cancellation is published in the Federal Register.

(d) The American Bureau of Shipping is authorized to revalidate from time to time by endorsement a load line certificate or an International Load Line Exemption Certificate.

(e) Before revalidating any certificate by endorsement, the American Bureau of Shipping shall verify that the required load line marks assigned are marked on the vessel and the vessel is in compliance with authorized conditions, restrictions, and/or exemptions, if any.

(f) The American Bureau of Shipping shall issue all load line certificates in duplicate; one copy shall be delivered to the owner or master of the vessel, and one copy (together with a summary of data used to determine the assigned load lines) shall be forwarded to the Commandant.

(g) The American Bureau of Shipping shall prepare a load line survey report on each new vessel or existing vessel when brought into complete compliance with this part prior to issuing the required load line certificate described in subpart 42.50 of this part. At the time the certificate is delivered, one copy of this report shall be delivered to the master of the vessel, and one copy shall be forwarded to the Commandant. When a load line survey report is superseded or revised, one copy shall be delivered to the master of the vessel, and one copy shall be forwarded to the Commandant.

(h) The load line survey report or stability information furnished to a specific vessel shall include a statement of the locations of all watertight subdivision bulkheads, including steps or recesses therein, which may be involved in the vessel's load line assignment.

[CGFR 68-60, 33 FR 10053, July 12, 1968, as amended by CGFR 68-126, 34 FR 9012, June 5, 1969; CGD 80-143, 47 FR 25149, June 10, 1982; CGD 96-041, 61 FR 50727, Sept. 27, 1996; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52190, Sept. 30, 1998; USCG-2000-7790, 65 FR 58459, Sept. 29, 2000]