{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015/regulation-26",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015/regulation-26.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2015/508",
  "legislation_title": "The Merchant Shipping (Survey and Certification) Regulations 2015",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/merchant-shipping-survey-and-certification-regulations-2015",
  "path": "regulation/26",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "26",
  "heading": "Penalties",
  "text": "(1) If a ship to which these Regulations apply proceeds or attempts to proceed to sea or on a voyage or excursion without complying with the requirements of regulations 6 to 9D, the owner and master of the ship shall each be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both.\n(2) Any contravention of regulation 10(1), 23(1) to (5H) or 24 shall be an offence by both the owner and master and shall be punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or, on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both.\n(3) Any contravention of regulation 21(3) shall be an offence, punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or conviction on indictment by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or a fine, or both.\n(4) If a ship proceeds to sea without regulation 22 being complied with, the owner and master shall each be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.\n(5) Any contravention of regulation 25 to 25C shall be an offence by both the owner and master and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding £50,000 on summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine, or both.\n(6) It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under these Regulations to prove that he took all reasonable steps to ensure that the Regulations were complied with.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in reg. 26(1) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(12)(a) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in reg. 26(1) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 14(a) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in reg. 26(2) substituted (9.2.2022) by The Merchant Shipping (High Speed Offshore Service Craft) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/41), regs. 1(2), 6(12)(b) (with reg. 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in reg. 26(2) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 14(b) (with reg. 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in reg. 26(5) substituted (19.1.2026) by The Merchant Shipping (Safety Measures for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel and Special Personnel) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/1298), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 14(c) (with reg. 4)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/508/regulation/26",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:44:45.416098+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}