Department of Maritime and Shipping (DMS)

The Department of Maritime and Shipping is the principal agency with responsibility for regulating shipping activities within the Turks and Caicos Islands. The primary responsibilities of the Department include:

•                     The registration and certification of commercial vessels in accordance to the TCI Merchant Shipping Ordinance.

•                     The inspection of vessels based on the TCI Merchant ‘Small Commercial Vessel’ Regulations;

•                     The inspection of fishing vessels;

•                     The issuance of all commercial documents;

•                     The licensing and examination of boatmasters; 

•                     Investigation into marine accidents/casualties;

•                     Monitoring and surveillance of the vessel operations at ports of entry;

•                     Port State Control inspections on non-island vessels;

Small commercial vessels are regulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Code of Safety for Small Commercial Vessels (SCV Code) which applies to vessels between 5 and 24 metres in length operating commercially within in the Caribbean trading area.

All mariners operating commercial vessels under the SCV Code are required to have a Boatmaster’slicence issued by DMAR. Mariners operating pleasure vessels are required to provide evidence of competency.

Enforcement of these regulations are carried out independently or collaboratively among personnel from the DMAR, Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force, Marine Branch, Fisheries and Marine Resource Management and the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources.