From the USCG Marine Safety Information Bulletin Number: 12-15:

Clarification of Mandatory Safety Exams for Commercial Fishing Vessels

This bulletin provides clarification about the five-year mandatory dockside safety exam that applies to many commercial fishing vessels (CFVs).

• Effective October 15, 2015, the law requires completion of a mandatory dockside safety exam on certain CFVs at least once every five years. (See the answer to first question below to determine if your CFV must comply.) • Any affected CFV that has not successfully completed a dockside exam on or after January 1, 2013 must get an exam to be in compliance with the law. • Any affected CFV found not in compliance with the safety exam requirement could be subject to civil penalty action or operational controls. • We will continue to use the “two-year” Safety Decal for all successful exams, mandatory or otherwise. • We understand that many vessels have been getting exams more frequently than once every five years, and we will continue to offer a free exam whenever requested or required for another reason. • We will develop regulations that include the requirement for us to issue a Certificate of Compliance to document a five-year mandatory exam. Until then, we will use the two-year Safety Decal to demonstrate compliance with any exam requirement. • We still highly encourage you to get an exam every two years to ensure all of your vessel’s safety and survival equipment are up to date and installed properly.

Read the rest of the bulletin here: MSIB 12-15.