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Port state control (PSC) is the inspection of a foreign-flag ship in a national port to verify that the ship complies with international conventions — primarily SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, MLC, Loadlines, COLREGs, the Tonnage Convention, and AFS — and with the domestic legislation that gives effect to them. It is the safety net that catches non-compliant ships when their flag state has failed to act, and is an essential component of the global maritime regulatory regime.
PSC is exercised through nine regional Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) plus two national regimes (the USCG and AMSA). Each MoU agrees a common targeting system, common deficiency codes, common detention rules, and a shared inspection database. Vessels are targeted using a risk profile that combines flag performance, recognised-organisation performance, ship age, type, deficiency history, and time since last inspection.
Europe and the North Atlantic (27 maritime authorities)
The original (1982). Performance lists (Black / Grey / White) drive ship-targeting risk profile.
Asia and the Pacific (21 authorities)
Strong CIC (Concentrated Inspection Campaigns) tradition; high inspection volume.
United States
Not a MoU — the US Coast Guard operates a national PSC regime with its own QualShip 21 incentive scheme.
Australia
National authority. Highly active inspector force; risk-targeted.
Indian Ocean rim (20 authorities)
Africa east coast, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Maldives, Mauritius, etc.
Caribbean (16 authorities)
Cruise ship-heavy regime.
Mediterranean rim (10 authorities)
Smaller; many overlapping members with Paris MoU.
Black Sea (6 authorities)
Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine.
Persian Gulf (6 authorities)
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE.
Latin America (15 authorities)
Mostly Spanish- and Portuguese-language authorities; close link to Caribbean MoU.
West and central Africa (22 authorities)
Recent harmonisation push; capacity-building active.
Modern MoUs (Paris, Tokyo, IOMoU) use the New Inspection Regime (NIR) or equivalent. Each ship is assigned a Ship Risk Profile of Low / Standard / High, based on:
High-Risk Ships are inspected every 5–6 months; Standard-Risk every 10–12 months; Low-Risk every 24–36 months. Each MoU computes a windows-based selection scheme so each member port has a continuous flow of overdue ships.
An initial inspection is documents-only: PSC officer boards, verifies certificates against the underlying conventions, walks through the engine room, accommodation, navigation bridge, and a sample of operational areas. If "clear grounds" emerge — visible deficiencies, expired certs, crew not familiar with their duties, or a triggering event such as a casualty or report — the inspection escalates to more detailed. A more detailed inspection can include opening hatches, testing equipment under load, and interviewing crew individually.
A ship is detained when the PSC officer judges that one or more deficiencies are so serious as to make the ship unsafe to proceed to sea, or threatens the marine environment, or is unfit for the working and living of seafarers. The ship cannot leave port until the deficiencies are rectified to the inspector's satisfaction, and the flag administration may need to issue conditional clearance. Detention is a serious commercial event — it triggers reputational consequences, potentially insurer notifications, charter-party off-hire claims, and a flag-performance hit.
Once or twice a year, the major MoUs run joint Concentrated Inspection Campaigns on a chosen topic — recent examples have included STCW hours of rest, MARPOL Annex VI sulphur compliance, Crew Familiarisation, MLC 2006 implementation, ECDIS, and structural integrity. During a CIC, every PSC inspection in the region includes an extra checklist on the campaign topic. Crews should expect deeper questioning in the campaign area for the duration.