Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 85.djvu/251

 85 STAT. ]

221

PUBLIC LAW 92-75-AUG. 10, 1971

(b) If a State lias a numbering system approved by the Secretary under the Aot of September 2, 1958 (72 Stat. 1754), as amended, prior to enactment hereof, the system need not be immediately revised to conform with this Act and may continue in effect without change for a period not to exceed three years from the date of enactment of this Act. (c) When a vessel is actually numbered in the State of principal use, it shall be considered as in compliance with the numbering system requirements of any State in which it is temporarily used. (d) When a vessel is removed to a new State of principal use, the issuing authority of that State shall recognize the validity of a number awarded by any other issuing authority for a period of at least sixty days before requiring numbering in the new State. (e) If a State has a numbering system approved after the effective date of this Act, that State must accept and recognize any certificate of number issued by the Secretary, as the previous issuing authority in that State, for one year from the date that State's system is approved, or until its expiration date, at the option of the State. (f) Whenever the Secretary determines that a State is not administering its approved numbering system in accordance with the standard numbering system, or has altered its system without his approval, he may withdraw his approval after giving notice to the State, in writing, setting forth specifically wherein the State has failed to meet the standards required, and the State has not corrected such failures within a reasonable time after being notified by the Secretary.

46 USC 527 note.

EXEMPTIONS

SEC. 19. (a) The Secretary, when he is the issuing authority, may exempt a vessel or class of vessels from the numbering provisions of this Act under such conditions as he may prescribe. (b) When a State is the issuing authority, it may exempt from the numbering provisions of this Act any vessel or class of vessels that has been exempted under subsection (a) of this section or otherwise as permitted by the Secretary. DESCRIPTIOX OF CERTIFICATE OF

NUMBER

SEC. 20. (a) A certificate of number granted under this Act shall be pocket size, shall be at all times available for inspection on the vessel for which issued when the vessel is in use, and may not be valid for more than three years. The certificate of number for vessels less than twenty-six feet in length and leased or rented to another for the latter"s noncommercial use of less than twenty-four hours may be retained on shore by the vessel's owner or his representative at the place from which the vessel departs or returns to the possession of the owner or his representative. A vessel which does not have the certificate of number on board shall be identified while in use, and comply with such other requirements, as the issuing authoiity prescribes. (b) The owner of a vessel numbered under this Act shall furnish to the issuing authority notice of the transfer of all or part of his interest in the vessel, or of the destruction or abandonment of the vessel, within a reasonable time thereof, and shall furnish notice of any change of address within a reasonable time of the change, in accordance with prescribed regulations. DISPLAY OF

NUMBER

SEC. 21. A number required by this Act shall be painted on, or attached to, each side of the forward half of the vessel for which it was

Transfer, notice.

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