United States flag seafarer contract: what the SEA must contain, who stands behind it, where to complain

Verified flag-state facts (official registry or administration website, September 1, 2026) · MLC Contract Check, the free seafarer contract checker by 7SHORT1LONG®

The United States never ratified MLC 2006, yet US-flag ships trading abroad carry a voluntary Coast Guard statement of compliance so that inspectors in Rotterdam or Singapore treat them as certified. The flag is on the Paris MoU white list for 2023 to 2025 and medium performance in the Tokyo MoU region. This check reads your contract against the Convention; your enforceable rights on a US ship come from Title 46 and the Coast Guard, and the ITF still works in any port.

Who stands behind a United States seafarer employment agreement

The check cites only these verified United States facts for flag matters and never invents national provisions. Where a flag-law detail would matter, the report says so and refers you to the administration.

How the United States flag performs in port state control

These ratings describe how often ships under this flag were detained in port state control and whether the ITF lists the register as a flag of convenience. They say nothing about your contract. They tell you how much backing to expect from the flag state if something goes wrong. Sources: Paris MoU performance lists valid 2026-07-01 to 2027-07-06; Tokyo MoU Annual Report 2024, Table 8; ITF list of FOC registries 2025.

What every seafarer employment agreement must contain under the MLC

The flag implements the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 on board the ships flying it, so these minimums apply to a United States-flag contract as they do to any other. The check reads your wording against each point:

• Parties, capacity, place and date. Your name, the shipowner's name and address, the ship, your rank, where and when you sign (MLC Standard A2.1, paragraph 4).
• Wages. Basic wage, overtime rate and leave pay stated separately, paid at least monthly with a written account (Standard A2.2). ILO floor for an able seafarer: USD 690 per month from January 1, 2026.
• Hours of rest. At least 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 in any 7 days (Standard A2.3).
• Paid annual leave. Minimum 2.5 calendar days per month of employment (Standard A2.4).
• Duration, termination and notice. Conditions for ending the agreement and a notice period of not less than 7 days; maximum service period before repatriation under 12 months (Standards A2.1 and A2.5).
• Repatriation at the shipowner's cost. No advance from you, no deduction from wages except in serious default (Standard A2.5).
• Medical care and shipowner liability. Sickness and injury on board and ashore (Regulation 4.2, Standard A4.2).
• No recruitment or placement fees. Only your own statutory documents are yours to pay (Standard A1.4, paragraph 5).
• Collective agreement named, if one applies, and no waiver of union contact or the right to complain (Regulation 5.1.5).

The ten points in plain language, with the standard to quote for each, are in 10 Red Flags in a Seafarer Contract.

United States flag: where an MLC complaint goes

The ladder is the same under every flag. Supervisor, then the master through the on-board complaint procedure (every ship must have one, MLC Regulation 5.1.5), then the DPA and the company ashore, then the flag administration named above, then Port State Control in the next port, then an ITF inspector or your union. The MLC prohibits victimization for filing a complaint (Standard A5.1.5).

ITF help and inspector lookup: itfseafarers.org/en/help.

Crew questions

Who handles an MLC complaint for a United States-flagged ship?

United States Coast Guard, Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC), Washington, DC, acting through the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection at each sector. Coast Guard CG-CVC: CG-CVC-1@uscg.mil (per NVIC 02-13). Phone: +1 202 372 1224. Note: US-flag seafarers' contract rights come from US law, not the MLC. The SOVC-MLC is voluntary; check whether your ship carries one.. Use the on-board complaint procedure first; the MLC protects you from victimization for using it (Standard A5.1.5).

Which law governs a seafarer employment agreement under the United States flag?

The United States has NOT ratified MLC 2006. Seafarers on US-flag ships are protected by Title 46 of the United States Code and Coast Guard regulations. Under NVIC 02-13 (Guidance Implementing the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006) the Coast Guard issues a Statement of Voluntary Compliance (SOVC-MLC and SOVC-DMLC) to US-flag ships that demonstrate compliance, so that foreign port state control treats them as certified. In a foreign port the MLC applies to the ship through port state control (Article V, no more favourable treatment).

Can I check a United States-flag contract before I sign?

Yes. The free MLC Contract Check reads your contract clause by clause against MLC 2006, ITF standards and the verified United States flag-state facts on this page, and returns a color-coded report in about a minute. Nothing is stored.

Other flag states

Liberia · Panama · Marshall Islands · Bahamas · Malta · Italy · Bermuda · Hong Kong · Singapore · Netherlands · Germany · Cyprus · Portugal (Madeira / MAR) · Antigua and Barbuda · Norway (NOR / NIS) · Greece · Cayman Islands · Isle of Man · Gibraltar · United Kingdom · Denmark (DIS) · France (RIF) · Spain (Canary REC) · Croatia · Curacao · Barbados · China · Japan · South Korea · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Palau · Togo · Guinea-Bissau · Belize · Vanuatu · Vietnam · Comoros · Tanzania (Zanzibar) · Cameroon · Philippines · India · Indonesia · Russia · Türkiye · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Sierra Leone · Cook Islands · Tuvalu · Thailand · Egypt · Bangladesh · Luxembourg · Belgium · Sweden · Finland · Ireland · Faroe Islands · Saudi Arabia

Any other flag runs against the full MLC 2006 baseline without flag-specific contacts. Sources and scope: methodology and sources. Automated AI document check, not legal advice.