PSC Detention
Outcome of a port-state-control inspection where deficiencies prevent the vessel from sailing until rectified.
In practice
Detention follows a serious deficiency that prevents the vessel sailing. Owner repairs / produces evidence to the PSC officer who lifts the detention. Detention publicly recorded; multiple detentions in 36 months risk Paris MoU banning.
Regulatory detail & full definition
Outcome of a port-state-control inspection in which the deficiencies found are sufficiently serious that the vessel is prevented from sailing until they are rectified. Detention is recorded in the IMO GISIS PSC database and the relevant MoU's THETIS or APCIS system, contributing to the flag-state and operator's risk profile. Persistent detention drives a vessel up the inspection-priority list and can lead to banning from the MoU region after three detentions in a 36-month period — for example, the Paris MoU's banning regime for refused-entry vessels.
Authoritative source: Paris MoU ↗
Related
Source: Paris MoU; Tokyo MoU PSC procedures
High confidence
Editorial confidence: how we grade.