# The Merchant Shipping (International Safety Management (ISM) Code) Regulations 2026, Regulation 17: Interim ship verification and Interim Safety Management Certificate requirements in respect of United Kingdom ships


(1) Where the circumstances described in paragraph (2)(a), (b) or (c) apply, a Certifying Authority may issue an Interim Safety Management Certificate instead of a Safety Management Certificate, in respect of a United Kingdom ship to which these Regulations apply.
(2) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (1) are those set out in the following paragraphs of the ISM Code—
(a) paragraph 14.2.1 (new ships on delivery);
(b) paragraph 14.2.2 (when a company takes on responsibility for the operation of a ship which is new to the company); or
(c) paragraph 14.2.3 (when a ship changes flag).
(3) Subject to payment of any prescribed fee, a Certifying Authority must, on being notified by a surveyor of the matters specified in paragraph (4), issue an Interim Safety Management Certificate in respect of a United Kingdom ship to which paragraph (1) applies.
(4) The matters referred to in paragraph (3) are that the surveyor—
(a) is satisfied that a Document of Compliance or an Interim Document of Compliance has been issued to the ISM company which owns or has assumed responsibility for the operation of that ship;
(b) has carried out an interim ship verification in respect of that ship; and
(c) is satisfied at the date of completion of that verification that the ship complies with the requirements of paragraph 14.4 of the ISM Code.
(5) An Interim Safety Management Certificate issued pursuant to this regulation must be in a form corresponding to the model given in the Appendix to the ISM Code.
(6) An Interim Safety Management Certificate issued in respect of a ship pursuant to this regulation must be—
(a) held on board that ship; and
(b) readily available for inspection at all times.
(7) In these Regulations, an “interim ship verification” means the verification referred to in paragraph 14.4 of the ISM Code and comprises the matters specified in the Annex to Marine Guidance Note 708 (M).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/194/regulation/17 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-international-safety-management-ism-code-regulations-2026/regulation-17
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.