Code Vessel Safety

Small Vessels operating commercially under the British Flag or in British waters must comply with the Merchant Shipping Regulations or an MCA Code of Practice. There are currently four codes for Small (up to 24m) Vessels.

YELLOW
The Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial Motor Vessels

BLUE
The Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial Sailing Vessels

BROWN
The Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Workboats and Pilot Boats

RED
The Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport of Pleasure operating from a Nominated Departure Point (NDP)

Alternative construction standards for small vessels in commercial use for sport or pleasure, workboats and pilot boats can be found in MGN 280 (M).

Information on which Vessels are Coded

If you wish to know whether a vessel is currently coded to the relevant standards you can contact the MCA on +44 (0) 23 8032 9139 or email Codes@mcga.gov.uk

There is also a Code of Practice for commercially operated yachts 24m and over.

LY2
The Large Commercial Yacht Code

Code Vessel Safety Branch, located at MCA headquarters in Southampton, provides policy, interpretation and technical advice on the all Codes of Practice for Commercial Vessels. Codes newsletters are used to help distribute useful advice (click below to enter).

Contact Us

For all queries, please contact us on the following :

Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Vessel Policy Branch
Bay 2/30
Spring Place
105 Commerical Road
Southampton
United Kingdom
SO15 1EG

Tel: +44 (0)23 8032 9139
Fax:+44 (0)23 8032 9161

or alternatively for any code realted queries, e-mail on: codes@mcga.gov.uk