§ 12.02-23 - Issuance of duplicate documents.

(a) If a seaman loses his continuous discharge book, merchant mariner's document or certificate of discharge by shipwreck or other casualty, he shall be supplied with a reissue of such documents free of charge. The phrase or other casualty as used in this section is interpreted to mean any damage to a ship caused by collision, explosion, tornado, wreck or flooding of the ship, such as a tidal wave or a grounding of the ship on a sand bar, or a beaching of the ship on a shore or by fire or other causes in a category with these mentioned.

(b) If a seaman loses a continuous discharge book, merchant mariner's document, or certificate of discharge otherwise than by shipwreck or other casualty and applies for a reissue, the appropriate fee set out in table 12.02-18 in § 12.02-18 is required.

(c) A person entitled to a duplicate merchant mariner's document, duplicate continuous discharge book, copies of certificates of discharge, or record of sea service may obtain the documents by applying at any Regional Examination Center referenced in § 12.01-7 by:

(1) Completing the application form provided by the Coast Guard; and

(2) Paying the fee set out in table 12.02-18 in § 12.02-18.

(d) Each person issued a document described in § 12.02-5, shall report its loss to an Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.

(e) If a merchant mariner's document or service record is lost, the seaman may obtain a duplicate by following the procedures in paragraph (c) of this section and by signing an affidavit, before the OCMI or a designated representative, explaining the loss of the document or service record. The Coast Guard will not process any application for a duplicate merchant mariner's document unless the applicant complies with the requirements of § 12.02-9.

(f) No application from an alien for a duplicate merchant mariner's document shall be accepted unless the alien complies with the requirements of § 12.02-10.

(g) The Coast Guard may deny applications for duplicate merchant mariner's documents for any reason listed in § 12.02-4.