
2025 No. 134
Merchant Shipping
The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
Made 10th February 2025
Laid before Parliament 11th February 2025
Coming into force 5th March 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 85(1), (3)(a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (k), (l), (n), (o), (p) and (q), and (5) to (7), 86(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d), 302(1) and 306A of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, and with the consent of the Treasury.

The Secretary of State has consulted such persons in the United Kingdom as the Secretary of State considers will be affected by the exercise of powers in this instrument in accordance with section 86(4) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
Citation and commencement
1 

(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.
(2) These Regulations come into force on 5th March 2025.
Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020
2 

(1) The Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020 are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 5 (safety of navigation requirements)—
(a) in paragraph (3)—
(i) omit sub-paragraph (c)(iii);
(ii) after sub-paragraph (c), insert—“
(ca) regulation 19 in Chapter V, except for paragraphs 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.6, 2.1.7 and 2.1.8 (navigational equipment and arrangements), does not apply to—
(i) ships which are not passenger ships and are not sea-going;
(ii) ships of Class V;”;
(iii) after sub-paragraph (d), insert—“
(da) paragraph 2.4 of regulation 19 in Chapter V (automatic identification system) does not apply to ships of Class IV;”;
(iv) in sub-paragraph (h)—(aa) for “27”, substitute “26”;(bb) at the end of paragraph (ii), omit “and”;
(v) after sub-paragraph (h), insert—“
(ha) regulation 27 in Chapter V (nautical charts and nautical publications) does not apply to—
(i) pleasure vessels below 150 gross tons engaged on any voyage;
(ii) ships which are not passenger ships and are not sea-going;
(iii) ships of Class V; and”;
(b) in paragraph (5)—
(i) after the definition of “Merchant Shipping Notice”, insert—“
 “passenger” means a person other than—
(a) the master and the members of the crew or other persons employed or engaged in any capacity on board a ship on the business of that ship; or
(b) a child under one year of age;
 “passenger ship” means a ship which carries more than 12 passengers;”;
(ii) at the end of the definition of “sea-going”, insert—“
 ;
 ships of Class IV” means passenger ships engaged only on voyages in Category A, B, C or D waters;
 “ships of Class V” means passenger ships engaged only on voyages in Category A, B or C waters.”.
Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018
3 

(1) The Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018 are amended as follows.
(2) In the table in paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 (fees under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995), under heading H (radio and navigational equipment), in respect of the entry for the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Navigation) Regulations 2020, in the third column for “None”, substitute—“2022/12192025/134”.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Michael Kane
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
Department for Transport
10th February 2025We consent to the making of these Regulations
Vicki Foxcroft
Anna Turley
Two of the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury
5th February 2025