Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    middle east

    Key measures for vessels calling at ports in conflict zones

    RMI

    RMI: Vessels linked to the US or Israel must operate at Security Level 3

    Lagos Nigeria

    Fire breaks out aboard vessel carrying flammable cargo in Lagos

    burning car carrier

    Car carrier sinks twenty days after a fire broke onboard

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

    public speaking

    8 Key rules of Public Speaking

    social media

    Mindfulness and social media: M.I.N.D. your media

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    LNG

    Japan looks into lowering emissions of LNG supply chain

    eu shipping

    Success of EU’s fuel policies depends on production standards

    india

    India’s first ammonia terminal to be developed in Pipavav

    methanol

    Shandong Shipping orders ten dual-fuel VLOCs

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    iaph cyber security

    IAPH releases cyber security guidelines for new port technologies

    germany latvia

    Latvia and Germany collaborate on smart port initiative

    imo autonomous shipping

    IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

    germany latvia

    Smart vessel embarks on its first journey in China

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    oil theft nigeria

    Nigeria arrests 76 ships during two-year oil theft crackdown

    paris mou

    M/V Goldy Seven refused access to the Paris MoU

    detention

    Kerala High Court detains vessel in connection to previous incident

    ai remote inspections

    BV develops AI took to advance remote inspections

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Crew welfare takes center stage: The 2025 Crew Welfare Award Recipients revealed

    Crew welfare takes center stage: The 2025 Crew Welfare Award Recipients revealed

    2025 Crew Welfare Week: Leadership is vital to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful onboard environment

    2025 Crew Welfare Week: Leadership is vital to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful onboard environment

    sanctions

    IGP&I: Overview of the latest U.S. sanctions against Iran

    oil

    Oil prices plunge over 7% amid geopolitical turmoil

  • Columns
    strait of Hormuz

    Could the Strait of Hormuz close amid an Iran–Israel war?

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    ABS Consulting: Make cyber risk part of the daily safety conversation

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    middle east

    Key measures for vessels calling at ports in conflict zones

    RMI

    RMI: Vessels linked to the US or Israel must operate at Security Level 3

    Lagos Nigeria

    Fire breaks out aboard vessel carrying flammable cargo in Lagos

    burning car carrier

    Car carrier sinks twenty days after a fire broke onboard

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

    public speaking

    8 Key rules of Public Speaking

    social media

    Mindfulness and social media: M.I.N.D. your media

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    LNG

    Japan looks into lowering emissions of LNG supply chain

    eu shipping

    Success of EU’s fuel policies depends on production standards

    india

    India’s first ammonia terminal to be developed in Pipavav

    methanol

    Shandong Shipping orders ten dual-fuel VLOCs

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    iaph cyber security

    IAPH releases cyber security guidelines for new port technologies

    germany latvia

    Latvia and Germany collaborate on smart port initiative

    imo autonomous shipping

    IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

    germany latvia

    Smart vessel embarks on its first journey in China

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    oil theft nigeria

    Nigeria arrests 76 ships during two-year oil theft crackdown

    paris mou

    M/V Goldy Seven refused access to the Paris MoU

    detention

    Kerala High Court detains vessel in connection to previous incident

    ai remote inspections

    BV develops AI took to advance remote inspections

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Crew welfare takes center stage: The 2025 Crew Welfare Award Recipients revealed

    Crew welfare takes center stage: The 2025 Crew Welfare Award Recipients revealed

    2025 Crew Welfare Week: Leadership is vital to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful onboard environment

    2025 Crew Welfare Week: Leadership is vital to creating a safe, inclusive and respectful onboard environment

    sanctions

    IGP&I: Overview of the latest U.S. sanctions against Iran

    oil

    Oil prices plunge over 7% amid geopolitical turmoil

  • Columns
    strait of Hormuz

    Could the Strait of Hormuz close amid an Iran–Israel war?

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    ABS Consulting: Make cyber risk part of the daily safety conversation

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    LR: Good data is a crucial foundation for improving safety

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?

by The Editorial Team
December 3, 2019
in Maritime Knowledge
bimco world fleet

Above image is used for illustration purposes only / Credit: Shutterstock

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

The IMO Ship Identification Number is a unique seven-digit number which remains unchanged through a vessel’s lifetime and is linked to its hull, regardless of any changes of names, flags, or owners.

In fact, the IMO number is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above upon keel laying, with the exception of ships without mechanical means of propulsion; pleasure yachts; ships engaged on special service, such as lightships; hopper barges; hydrofoils, air cushion vehicles; floating docks and structures classified in a similar manner; ships of war, troopships as well as wooden ships.

The IMO number is a mandatory prerequisite for sailing through the SOLAS regulation XI/3 which was adopted in 1994; in fact, specific criteria for passenger ships of 100 gross tonnage and upwards and all cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards were agreed. Further to this, the records based on the IMO number also require an independent audit trail for each vessel.

The scheme was further applied to fishing vessels in 2013, and the eligibility criteria were amended in 2016 to cover smaller and non-steel hull vessels. In particular, the IMO number is assigned to the total portion of the hull enclosing the machinery space and can play the determining factor, should additional sections be added.

RelatedNews

IMO Sec-Gen: No one should feel alone in their struggle

IMO on track to adopt new regulations, UN Climate Meeting hears

For new vessels, the IMO number is assigned to a hull during construction, generally upon keel laying. The SOLAS regulation XI-1/3 requires ships’ identification numbers to be permanently marked in a visible place either on the ship’s hull or superstructure. Passenger ships should carry the marking on a horizontal surface visible from the air and vessels should also be marked with their ID numbers internally.

This number remains unchanged and is never reassigned regardless of any changes concerning the ship’s owner, country of registration, name or transfer to other flags and should be inserted in the ship’s certificates. It is also important to note that this number is separate and different from the official number issued by the vessel’s flag administration which is only internally used and cannot replace the IMO number.

IMO notes that the IMO ship identification number scheme, which was introduced in 1987 through adoption of resolution A.600(15), can act as a measure aimed at enhancing “maritime safety, and pollution prevention and to facilitate the prevention of maritime fraud.” It aims at assigning a permanent number to each ship for identification purposes.

IMO numbers can be an essential tool in shipping because they help to improve monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement of operations, as they allow flag states to accurately manage vessels under their authority; give national authorities information to help them police their waters more effectively; bring clarity and consistency to legal records; and help governments determine whether vessels are authorized to be in their waters.

All in all, having an IMO number is a prerequisite for selling and can be the best way to track and locate a vessel’s history since each number is unique and is the only identification that remains with a vessel from shipyard to scrapyard, regardless of all other modifications. Indeed, the IMO number is recognized by most governments and regional fisheries organizations and is considered the best available global identification system for ships.

DO YOU KNOW?: Read in this series

containerships

Do you know how containerships became giants of the sea?

March 5, 2025
accidents regulations

Do you know which major maritime accidents led to major regulations?

February 27, 2025
death

Do you know what happens when someone dies on a cargo vessel?

January 29, 2025
popcorn

Do you know how popcorn can save the marine environment?

January 24, 2025
Long Range Identification & Tracking (LRIT)

Do you know what LRIT is?

December 31, 2024
P&I Clubs

Do you know what P&I stands for?

December 30, 2024
greek christmas boat

Do you know why Greeks decorate a boat for Christmas?

December 24, 2024
Do you know what the key maritime chokepoints are?

Do you know what the key maritime chokepoints are?

October 31, 2024
crew onboard

Do you know who is considered Special Personnel onboard?

October 24, 2024
Do you know which cargoes and materials on board are oxygen-depleting?

Do you know which cargoes and materials on board are oxygen-depleting?

October 16, 2024
garbage color code

Do you know the 9 tones of garbage handling?

October 10, 2024
Do you know what dynamic separation is?

Do you know what dynamic separation is?

July 23, 2024
unstable lifeboat

Do you know your lifeboat?

July 15, 2024
tankers

Do you know the various types of survey onboard?

May 9, 2024
Global PSC Annual Review CY 2021

Do you know why a Ship Security Assessment is essential?

April 5, 2024
IFC

Do you know what a Ship Security Plan includes?

April 5, 2024
plastic pollution waste

Do you know how to dispose garbage onboard?

March 29, 2024
tankers

Do you know what Just-in-Time is?

March 15, 2024
Do you know what ocean roadkill is?

Do you know what ocean roadkill is?

March 12, 2024
why ships float

Do you know why ships float?

February 12, 2024
fuels

Do you know the many colours of alternative fuels?

January 3, 2024
New York New Years Ball drop

Do you know how shipping inspired New Year’s Ball Drop tradition?

December 27, 2023
animal carcasses

Do you know what happens with animal carcasses onboard?

November 20, 2023
Particularly Sensitive Sea Area

Do you know how many Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas exist?

November 17, 2023
ballast tank

Do you know when you can store grey water in ballast water tanks?

November 14, 2023
fire aboard

Do you know when to inspect your fire protection systems onboard?

November 13, 2023
Do you know which vessel took a sharp turn on floating standards?

Do you know which vessel took a sharp turn on floating standards?

September 28, 2023
Do you know the differences between PCTCs and RoRo/RoPax?

Do you know the differences between PCTCs and RoRo/RoPax?

September 6, 2023
FSRU LNG

Do you know what FSRUs are?

March 31, 2023
gemba walk

Do you know what a Gemba walk is?

December 7, 2022
ballast tank

Do you know why ballasting and deballasting are vital for a ship?

October 6, 2022
LNG fueled containerships

Do you know what CatZoc is?

September 2, 2022
iacs

Do you know what VDR is?

August 25, 2022
Do you know how ships are protected from lightning?

Do you know how ships are protected from lightning?

August 1, 2022
singapore Maritime Welfare Fee

Do you know what makes a maritime center?

July 18, 2022
Do you know how climate change relates to shipping?

Do you know how climate change relates to shipping?

July 12, 2022
barnacle fouling

Do you know what biofouling is?

July 11, 2022
shipping leaders join statement net zero hydrogen shipping 2030 at CIO 28

Do you know what CII stands for?

June 27, 2022
Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance

Do you know what EU Taxonomy is?

June 27, 2022
methane

Do you know what methane slip is?

May 12, 2022
general average

Do you know what General Average means?

May 10, 2022
eunavfor

Do you know where the food you eat comes from?

April 21, 2022
nato shipping centre

Do you know what FOC are?

March 28, 2022
Northern Sea Route

Do you know what the Northern Sea Route is?

March 24, 2022
Do you know why a ship’s bow thruster is vital?

Do you know why a ship’s bow thruster is vital?

March 2, 2022
uk us energy security

Do you know what Poseidon Principles stand for?

February 14, 2022
Do you know why P&I Clubs are vital for shipping?

Do you know why P&I Clubs are vital for shipping?

December 30, 2021
singapore border measures

Do you know what GT and DWT measure in a ship?

November 10, 2021
ship

Do you know what ships apply SOLAS?

October 29, 2021
low draft limits barranquilla

12 nautical terms to know

October 22, 2021
under keel clearance

Do you know what under keel clearance is? 

October 8, 2021
sire 2.0

Do you know how ship propulsion has changed?

June 1, 2021
NATO phonetic alphabet

Do you know what NATO phonetic alphabet is?

November 24, 2020
gmdss

Do you know what GMDSS stands for?

October 22, 2020
us cruise ships

Do you know what cold ironing is?

October 5, 2020
Do you know what the bulbous bow is for?

Do you know what the bulbous bow is for?

February 6, 2020
ship recycling

Do you know what happens to a ship when it’s too old to sail anymore?

February 4, 2020
Ship Security Alert System

Do you know what a Ship Security Alert System is?

January 22, 2020
Authorized Service Providers

Do you know how many types of lifeboats exist?

January 17, 2020
flush the toilet

Do you know what happens after you flush the toilet on a ship?

January 16, 2020
EEXI

Do you know how many ranks and duties exist onboard? 

December 20, 2019
types of ships

Do you know how many types of ships exist?

December 4, 2019
bimco world fleet

Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?

December 3, 2019
solas

Do you know when to abandon a ship?

December 3, 2019
panama shipping decarbonization

Do you know how to distinguish an Aframax from a Panamax vessel?

November 21, 2019
bunkering

Do you know what a Bunker Delivery Note includes?

November 20, 2019
emissions from ships

Do you know why FONAR is needed from 2020 and onwards?

October 23, 2019
Plimsoll lines

Do you know what Plimsoll lines on ships are?

October 17, 2019
ships are red

Do you know why ships are red on bottom?

October 16, 2019
starboard

Why do ships use ‘port’ and ‘starboard’ and not ‘left’ or ‘right’

August 18, 2019
pandemic seafarers

Inert Gas onboard: Key safety precautions

May 10, 2019
scottish maritime sector

Do you know why is a ship called she?

April 1, 2019
Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?
Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?Do you know why IMO number is important for vessels?
Tags: Do you knowIMOMaripediasmSOLAS
Previous Post

Do you know when to abandon a ship?

Next Post

Case study: Mooring line failure onboard

Related News

imo autonomous shipping
E-navigation

IMO in talks over autonomous shipping ahead of MSC 110

June 20, 2025
IMO seafarer criminalisation
Seafarers

IMO, ILO, ITF, ICS unite against seafarers’ criminalization

June 19, 2025
mepc 79
Safety

MSC 110 opens with an array of crucial agenda items on the table

June 18, 2025
IEA Oil 2025
Shipping

IEA: Global oil supply to grow faster than demand despite risks

June 18, 2025
IMO
Sustainability

IMO urges for tangible action following UN Ocean Conference

June 18, 2025
ocean pollution
Sustainability

South Africa and Costa Rica take steps in ship noise and pollution

June 16, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore more

No Result
View All Result
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

Manage your privacy
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA