Letter of Compliance (LOC)

A Letter of Compliance (LOC) is a document the United States Coast Guard issues to certain foreign vessels confirming they meet applicable US requirements, used where the vessel cannot hold a US Certificate of Inspection but operates under USCG oversight. It is issued for some foreign-flag vessels engaged in Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) activities and for certain foreign vessels in specific trades, recording the standards the vessel was examined against. The LOC supports the USCG port State control and OCS regimes by documenting that a foreign vessel meets the relevant Title 33 and Title 46 CFR provisions and the international conventions it must satisfy.