§ 138.120 - Fees.

§ 138.120 Certificates, denial or revocationFees.

(a) The Director, NPFC, may deny a Certificate when an applicant -

(1) Willfully or knowingly makes a false statement in connection with an Application or other submission or filing under this subpart for an initial or renewal Certificate;

(2) Fails to establish acceptable evidence of financial responsibility as required by this subpart;

(3) Fails to pay the required Application or certification fees;

(4) Fails to comply with or respond to lawful inquiries, regulations, or orders of the Coast Guard pertaining to the activities subject to this subpart; or

(5) Fails to timely file with the Director, NPFC, required statements, data, notifications, or affidavits.

(b) The Director, NPFC, may revoke a Certificate when a certificant -

(1) Willfully or knowingly makes a false statement in connection with an Application for an initial or a renewal Certificate, or in connection with any other filing required by this subpart;

(2) Fails to comply with or respond to lawful inquiries, regulations, or orders of the Coast Guard pertaining to the activities subject to this subpart; or

(3) Fails to timely file with the Director, NPFC, required statements, data, notifications, or affidavits.

(c) A Certificate is immediately invalid, and considered revoked, without prior notice, when the certificant -

(1) Fails to maintain acceptable evidence of financial responsibility as required by this subpart;

(2) Is no longer the responsible operator of the vessel or fleet in question; or

(3) Alters any copy of a Certificate.

(d) The Director, NPFC, will advise the applicant or certificant, in writing, of the intention to deny or revoke a Certificate under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section and will state the reason for the decision. Written advice from the Director, NPFC, that an incomplete Application will be considered withdrawn unless it is completed within a stated period, is the equivalent of a denial.

(e) If the intended revocation under paragraph (b) of this section is based on failure to timely file required financial statements, data, notifications, or affidavits with the Director, NPFC, the revocation is effective 10 days after the date of the notice of intention to revoke, unless, before the effective date of the revocation, the certificant demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Director, NPFC, that the required documents were timely filed or have been filed.

(f) If the intended denial is based on paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(4) of this section, or the intended revocation is based on paragraph (b)(1) or

Fee payment methods. Each COFR Operator applying for a COFR, or requesting a COFR renewal, must pay the fees required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section as follows:

(1) All fees required by this section must be paid in United States dollars.

(2) For COFR Operators using eCOFR as provided under § 138.60(c)(1)(i), credit card payment is required.

(3) For COFR Operators submitting Applications and requests for COFR renewal under § 138.60(c)(1)(ii) through (iv) (email, fax, and mail submissions), the fees must be paid by a check, cashier's check, draft, or postal money order, made payable to the “U.S. Coast Guard”. Cash payments will not be accepted.

(i) For Applications and requests for COFR renewal submitted under § 138.60(c)(1)(ii) and (iii) (email and fax submissions, respectively), all fee payments must be received by the Director no later than 21 days following submission of the Application or request for COFR renewal.

(ii) For Applications and requests for COFR renewal submitted under § 138.60(c)(1)(iv) (mail submissions), all fee payments must be enclosed with the Application or request for COFR renewal.

(4) Any failure to timely pay the fees required by this section may result in COFR denial or revocation, debt collection (see 6 CFR part 11, 44 CFR part 11, and 31 CFR parts 285, and 900 through 904), and such other enforcement under § 138.170 as may be appropriate.

(b) Application fee.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the

applicant or certificant may request, in writing, an opportunity to present information for the purpose of showing that the applicant or certificant is in compliance with the subpart. The request must be received by the Director, NPFC, within 10 days after the date of the notification of intention to deny or revoke. A Certificate subject to revocation under this paragraph remains valid until the Director, NPFC, issues a written decision revoking the Certificate. (g) An applicant or certificant whose Certificate has been denied under paragraph (a) of this section or revoked under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section may request the Director, NPFC, to reconsider the denial or revocation. The certificant must submit a request for reconsideration, in writing, to the Director, NPFC, within 20 days of the date of the denial or revocation. The certificant must state the reasons for requesting reconsideration. The Director, NPFC, will generally issue a written decision on the request within 30 days of receipt, provided that, if the Director, NPFC, does not issue a decision within 30 days, the request for reconsideration will be deemed to have been denied, and the denial or revocation will be deemed to have been affirmed. Unless the Director, NPFC, issues a decision reversing the revocation, a revoked Certificate remains invalid. A decision by the Director, NPFC, affirming a denial or revocation, is final agency action

COFR Operator must pay a non-refundable Application fee of $200 for each Application submitted under this subpart (for each Application for one or more Individual Certificates, for a Fleet Certificate, or for a Master Certificate).

(2) An Application fee is not required when the COFR Operator submits -

(i) A request for an additional Individual Certificate under an existing Application;

(ii) A request to amend an Application;

(iii) A request for Certificate renewal; or

(iv) A request to reinstate a Certificate, if submitted within 90 days following the Certificate's revocation.

(c) Certification fees. In addition to the Application fees required by paragraph (b) of this section, each COFR Operator who submits an Application or request for COFR renewal must pay the following certification fees:

(1) $100 for each vessel listed in, or added to, an Application for one or more Individual Certificates;

(2) $100 for each Application for a Fleet Certificate or Master Certificate; and

(3) $100 for each request for renewal of an Individual Certificate, a Fleet Certificate or a Master Certificate.

(d) Fee refunds.

(1) A certification fee will be refunded, upon receipt by the Director of a written request, if the Application or request for COFR renewal is denied by the Director, or if the Application is withdrawn by the COFR Operator before the Director issues the COFR.

(2) Overpayments of Application and certification fees will be refunded to the COFR Operator.