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Marine Order 504 procedures checklist: which ones apply to your vessel?
Last reviewed: 29 August 2026
Marine Order 504 names fourteen operational procedures. Not all of them apply to every vessel — it depends on your vessel class, its length, and what you actually do with it. Work through the table below to see which ones you need.
Where a procedure does not apply to your vessel, record the reason in writing. A documented decision and a silent gap look very different to an inspector.
Filter the checklist
Is my vessel "lower complexity"?
A Class 2, 3 or 4 vessel under 7.5 m — and for Class 2, carrying no more than four day passengers — which does NONE of the following:
- carries dangerous goods as cargo
- has an installed net reel, crane, lifting device or deck load likely to adversely affect stability or watertight integrity
- is operated primarily for towage
- has an inboard engine running fuel with a flashpoint below 60°C
- has berthed accommodation
- conducts an operation determined by the National Regulator
Fail any one of these and the full procedure list applies.
Showing 14 of 14 procedures
| Procedure | Clause | Class 1, 2 & 3 | Lower complexity | Class 4 | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-operating checks | 11(5)(a) | Required | Required | Required (Sch 2 cl 2) | Always |
| 2. Vessel start up and shut down | 11(5)(b) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Always, unless lower complexity |
| 3. Mooring and berthing | 11(5)(c) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Always, unless lower complexity |
| 4. Means of access to and from the vessel | 11(5)(d) | Required | Required | Exempt | Always |
| 5. Wearing of lifejackets | 11(5)(e) | Required | Required | Exempt | Always — informed by the risk assessment |
| 6. Passenger safety inductions | 11(5)(f) | Required | Required | Exempt | Only if the vessel carries passengers |
| 7. Passenger monitoring | 11(5)(g) | Required | Required | Exempt | Class 1, and Class 2 permitted to carry passengers |
| 8. Passenger counts at embarkation and disembarkation | 11(5)(h) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Conditional — see note below the table |
| 9. Additional counts for water-based activities | 11(5)(i) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Where passengers leave the vessel for an activity such as snorkelling or diving |
| 10. Radio watch | 11(5)(j) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Where the vessel carries a radio, subject to the listed exceptions |
| 11. Bunkering and refuelling | 11(5)(k) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | If the vessel refuels |
| 12. Preparation and use of passage plans | 11(5)(l) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Always, unless lower complexity |
| 13. Confined space entry | 11(5)(m) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Only if the vessel has a confined space |
| 14. Cargo operations, including dangerous goods | 11(5)(n) | Required | Exempt | Exempt | Only if the vessel carries cargo |
| 15. Drug and alcohol policy | 11(6) | Required | Required | Required | Always — a policy, not a procedure, and there is no exemption |
Important notes
On row 8, passenger counts. This one has conditions attached. It applies to a Class 2 vessel permitted to carry passengers, or a Class 1 vessel permitted to carry no more than 75 passengers, engaged on a voyage of at least 30 minutes and no more than 12 hours, where the vessel is not scheduled to stop for embarkation or disembarkation in the first 30 minutes, and operating in B, C or D waters, or in E waters outside daylight hours. Read that against your actual operation rather than assuming.
On Class 4 vessels. Subclauses 11(4) and 11(5) do not apply to Class 4 vessels, which is why most of the column reads "Exempt". That does not mean no procedures are required — Schedule 2 clause 2 requires key tasks performed by the owner or persons on board, including pre-operating checks, to be recorded as a procedure and kept readily accessible, and those checks must be completed before the hirer takes control. Class 4 operators work through both schedules.
On fast craft. If NSCV Part F1C applies to your vessel, clause 11(7) treats the subclause (5) requirements as met if you hold the craft operating manual, the maintenance and servicing manual, and the route operational manual from that standard.
Next steps and official sources
Read how to write each of these procedures, or see how safety management system software can help keep procedures, records and review dates together.
Check the AMSA Marine Order 504 guidance and the Federal Register compilation.
This article is general information about Marine Order 504, not legal advice. Marine Order 504 is amended from time to time. Always work from the current compilation on the Federal Register of Legislation at legislation.gov.au, and check the AMSA website for current guidance and approved forms. If you are unsure how a requirement applies to your vessel, contact AMSA or a qualified marine consultant.