HSC Safety Certificate

The High-Speed Craft Safety Certificate is the statutory certificate confirming that a fast craft complies with the High-Speed Craft Code made mandatory under SOLAS Chapter X, replacing the conventional cargo and passenger ship certificates. SOLAS X/3 requires craft to meet the HSC Code (1994 HSC Code, resolution MSC.36(63), or 2000 HSC Code, resolution MSC.97(73), by build date), and the certificate is issued with an attached Permit to Operate that restricts the craft to defined routes, sea states, and operating conditions. Validity does not exceed five years. The route restriction is integral: HSC safety rests on limited exposure and shore support.