2017 US Code
Title 46 - Shipping
Subtitle II - Vessels and Seamen
Part E - Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents
Chapter 71 - Licenses and Certificates of Registry
Sec. 7107 - Duration of certificates of registry

(a) In General.—A certificate of registry issued under this part is valid for a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods; except that the validity of a certificate issued to a medical doctor or professional nurse is conditioned on the continuous possession by the holder of a license as a medical doctor or registered nurse, respectively, issued by a State.

(b) Advance Renewals.—A renewed certificate of registry issued under this part may be issued up to 8 months in advance but is not effective until the date that the previously issued certificate of registry expires or until the completion of any active suspension or revocation of that previously issued merchant mariner's document, whichever is later.

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 540; Pub. L. 101–380, title IV, §4102(b), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 509; Pub. L. 111–281, title VI, §614(c), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2971.)

Section 7107 specifies that there is no time limit on the validity of a certificate of registry issued to a medical doctor or a professional nurse but is conditioned on the continuous possession of the appropriate license issued by a State.

2010—Pub. L. 111–281 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "A certificate of registry issued under this part is valid for 5 years and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods. However, the validity of a certificate issued to a medical doctor or professional nurse is conditioned on the continuous possession by the holder of a license as a medical doctor or registered nurse, respectively, issued by a State."

1990—Pub. L. 101–380 substituted "is valid for 5 years and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods" for "is not limited in duration".

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–380 applicable to incidents occurring after Aug. 18, 1990, see section 1020 of Pub. L. 101–380, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2701 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.

For provisions that a certificate of registry issued before Aug. 18, 1990, terminates on the day it would have expired if the amendment to this section by Pub. L. 101–380 were in effect on date it was issued and was renewed at the end of each 5-year period under this section, see section 4102(d) of Pub. L. 101–380, set out as a note under section 7106 of this title.