§ 104.410 Submission and approval.

(a) In accordance with § 104.115, each vessel owner or operator must either— (1) Submit one copy of their Vessel Security Plan (VSP), in English, for review and approval to the Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Center (MSC) and a letter certifying that the VSP meets applicable requirements of this part; or (2) If intending to operate under an Approved Alternative Security Program, a letter signed by the vessel owner or operator stating which approved Alternative Security Program the owner or operator intends to use. (b) Owners or operators of vessels not in service on or before December 31, 2003, must comply with the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section 60 days prior to beginning operations. (c) The Commanding Officer, Marine Safety Center (MSC), will examine each submission for compliance with this part, and either— (1) Approve it and specify any conditions of approval, returning to the submitter a letter stating its acceptance and any conditions; (2) Return it for revision, returning a copy to the submitter with brief descriptions of the required revisions; or (3) Disapprove it, returning a copy to the submitter with a brief statement of the reasons for disapproval. (d) A VSP may be submitted and approved to cover more than one vessel where the vessel design and operations are similar. (e) Each company or vessel, owner or operator, that submits one VSP to cover two or more vessels of similar design and operation must address vessel-specific information that includes the physical and operational characteristics of each vessel. (f) A plan that is approved by the MSC is valid for 5 years from the date of its approval.