Closing a registration

Find out about how to close a registration.

If you are the legal owner of a ship that is not required to be registered, and you no longer require registration for your vessel then you can make an application to close your registration. A form is available for this.

If your Australian registered vessel is no longer entitled to be registered, you must give us notice in writing.

Your ship ceases to be entitled when:

it is sold to a non-Australian

it is lost, burnt, broken up, or taken by an enemy.

When you write to us you should include details of the circumstances and when the event happened.

How do you want to close your registration?

Ships not required to be registered Ships no longer entitled to be registered

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Ships not required to be registered

To make an application to close a ship registration, you need to:

Confirm that you are the legal owner and your vessel is not required to be registered

Vessels not required to be registered are:

pleasure craft
fishing vessels
government-owned ships
foreign-owned ships that are on demise (bare boat) charter to Australian operators
all other ships less than 24 metres in tonnage length.

Complete the form: Application for closure of registration of a ship not required to be registered—form 202.

Provide required documents

In addition to the application form, you will need to provide the following:

A statutory declaration stating the extent of your interest in the ship and the date in which that interest was acquired.
The Bill of Sale by which the ship was acquired.

Lodge your documents

Include the following:

Original completed form
Original registration certificate
Statutory declaration
Bill of sale

Send the documents to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Wait for us to let you know: We will let you know if there is any additional information that we need to process your application. If not, the registration will be closed and a letter advising you of the closure will be mailed to you.

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Ships no longer entitled to be registered

To close the registration of a ship no longer entitled to Australian registration, you need to:

Tell us in writing

Send us a written notice with the following information:

details of the sale of the vessel to a non-Australian
the circumstances and date of the loss or breaking up of the vessel.

Make sure the letter is signed by all registered owners, or a person appointed by the registered owner to act on their behalf before sending it to us.

Request a deletion certificate (if required)

Deletion certificates are required by most ship registries for the registration of a vessel. If the vessel is to be registered on another ship registry by the new owner it is likely that they will need a deletion certificate. If you need to give a deletion certificate to the new owner of your vessel, include your request in the letter.

The deletion certificate is made up of three documents:

A certificate stating that the ship is not Australian registered and the circumstances of its closure.
A statement of the registered ownership at the time of closure.
A certified title extract from the register, with the description of the ship at the time of closure.

Pay the fee for a deletion certificate

Before you send us your application, pay the fee online.

Provide your payment reference number with your application.

Lodge your documents

Send the original signed notice with a copy of the bill of sale (if you are selling to a non-Australian) and the original registration certificate to:

Shipping Registration Office
Australian Maritime Safety Authority
PO Box 255
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

If the original registration certificate has been lost or destroyed, state this in the letter and provide an undertaking that it will be returned to us if it is found.

Wait for us to let you know: We will let you know if there is any additional information that we need to process your application. If not the registration will be closed and a letter advising you of the closure will be mailed to you. If a deletion certificate has been requested it will also be mailed to you unless otherwise advised.