MARPOL Annex I, II & V · Record Books
Oil Record Book (Codes A–R) & Garbage Record Book (Categories A–K) Guide
No document on board is scrutinised more closely by Port State Control officers, USCG examiners and SIRE 2.0 / RightShip / CDI inspectors than the Oil Record Book (ORB Part I & II) and the Garbage Record Book (GRB Part I & II). A tank discrepancy between Code C and the sounding log, an unlogged 15 ppm OWS alarm failure under Code F, or a missing shore garbage receipt in a MARPOL Special Area can turn a routine inspection into a Code 30 detention or a criminal environmental investigation.
This guide explains every Oil Record Book Part I (Codes A–I) and Part II (Codes A–R) entry under MARPOL Annex I Regulations 15, 17 & 36 and IMO Resolution MEPC.117(52), together with Garbage Record Book Part I & II (Categories A–K) under MARPOL Annex V Regulation 10, Resolution MEPC.277(70) & Resolution MEPC.295(71).
Updated · Written by SeaReady in our own words. Not affiliated with OCIMF, RightShip, CDI, any MoU or any administration — always check the current official documents.
1. Oil Record Book Part I: Machinery space operations (Codes A to I)
Under MARPOL Annex I Regulations 15 & 17 and IMO Circular MEPC.1/Circ.736/Rev.2, every ship of 400 GT and above (and every oil tanker of 150 GT and above) must maintain Oil Record Book Part I. Under Regulation 15, any machinery-space bilge discharge into the sea requires the ship to be proceeding en route, operating approved oil filtering equipment (≤ 15 ppm oil content, plus an automatic 15 ppm alarm and 3-way stopping device on ships ≥ 10,000 GT), and concerning oil not mixed with oil cargo residues. Every operation must be recorded without delay in chronologically numbered items, signed by the officer in charge of the operation, and each completed page signed by the Master:
| Code | Machinery Space Operation | Required Item Numbers & Key Details (MARPOL Annex I App. III) |
|---|---|---|
| Code A | Ballasting or cleaning of oil fuel tanks | Items 1–4: identity of tank(s) ballasted or cleaned, whether cleaned since last containing oil, position at start/completion of cleaning and ballasting. |
| Code B | Discharge of dirty ballast or cleaning water from oil fuel tanks | Items 5–10: identity of tank(s), positions at start and completion of discharge, ship’s speed, method of discharge (through 15 ppm equipment or to reception facility), and quantity discharged in m³. |
| Code C | Collection, transfer and disposal of oil residues (sludge) | Items 11.1–11.4 & 12.1–12.4: weekly/voyage inventory of sludge tanks (capacity, total retained in m³), disposal to reception facilities (port, receipt), transfer to another tank, incineration (hours & m³), or other approved disposal. |
| Code D | Non-automatic starting of discharge / disposal of bilge water | Items 13–15: disposal of bilge water accumulated in machinery spaces where pump start/stop or transfer is non-automatic (or transfer to holding/slop tank or shore reception). |
| Code E | Automatic starting of discharge / disposal of bilge water | Items 16–18: automatic starting of overboard discharge through 15 ppm oil filtering equipment or automatic transfer to a holding tank, with time and ship’s position. |
| Code F | Condition of the oil filtering equipment (15 ppm OWS / OCM) | Items 19–21: time of system failure, time when system was made operational again, and reasons for failure (mandatory before and after any manual override or repair). |
| Code G | Accidental or other exceptional discharges of oil | Items 22–25: time of occurrence, place or position of ship, approximate quantity and type of oil, and circumstances of discharge/escape and general remarks. |
| Code H | Bunkering of fuel or bulk lubricating oil | Items 26.1–26.4: place of bunkering, time, type and sulphur content (% m/m) of fuel oil, tonnes and m³ added to each tank, and total content of each tank. |
| Code I | Additional operational procedures and general remarks | Voluntary tank-to-tank bilge or sludge transfers, OWS 15 ppm alarm and 3-way valve functional tests, seal verification on overboard valves, and de-bunkering. |
- Tank naming & IOPP Supplement Form A / B Section 3: Every sludge tank, bilge holding tank and waste-oil tank written under Code C, D or E must match the exact tank designation and capacity (in m³) printed in Section 3.1 / 3.2 of the ship’s IOPP Certificate Supplement. Never invent shorthand tank names.
- OWS pumping rate vs capacity plate: When recording overboard bilge discharges through the 15 ppm Oily Water Separator under Code D or E, inspectors divide the quantity discharged (m³) by the elapsed pumping time (hours) and verify that the rate does not exceed the certified capacity (m³/h) on the OWS type-approval certificate.
- Sludge evaporation & incineration math: Weekly Code C (Item 11) inventories must reconcile with the previous week’s ROB, sludge generated by purifiers, water drained to the bilge holding tank (logged simultaneously), and sludge burned in the incinerator or boiler (matching incinerator running hours and tank heating logs).
2. Oil Record Book Part II: Cargo & ballast operations on oil tankers (Codes A to R)
Under MARPOL Annex I Regulation 36 and IMO Resolution MEPC.117(52) (as amended by MEPC.187(59)), every oil tanker of 150 GT and above must keep Oil Record Book Part II on board for 3 years after the last entry:
- Codes A, B & C (Cargo loading, internal transfer & unloading — Items 1–8): Record quantities in cubic metres (m³) at observed/standard volume as specified, matching the ship’s ullage report and the surveyor’s ROB certificate at discharge. If any cargo remains on board after unloading, Item 8 must state the exact ROB per tank.
- Code D (Crude Oil Washing, COW — Items 9–17): Record port or sea position, tanks washed, number of machines, start/stop times, washing pattern, washing line pressure (bar) and method of verifying tanks were dry — cross-checked against the approved COW Manual and Inert Gas O₂ recorder (< 8% O₂ throughout washing).
- Codes E, G, H, I, J & K (Ballasting, tank cleaning, slop decanting & ODME — Items 18–62): Overboard decanting of slop tank water under Code I (Items 36–46) requires the ship to be outside a Special Area, more than 50 nautical miles from nearest land, proceeding en route, with the Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control System (ODME) operating and instant discharge rate not exceeding 30 litres per nautical mile.
- Code M (Condition of ODME — Items 67–69) & Code N (Accidental discharges — Items 70–73): Any ODME malfunction must be entered immediately under Code M with the time of failure, time restored and cause; any oil spill or exceptional discharge goes under Code N.
- Codes P, Q & R (Tankers engaged in specific trades — Items 75–85): Used only by tankers operating on dedicated specific trades under Regulation 2.5 (Items 82–85 under Code R cover port, reception facility, total quantity in m³ and official’s signature/stamp).
3. Garbage Record Book Part I & II: Categories A to K (MARPOL Annex V)
Under MARPOL Annex V Regulation 10 (as revised by IMO Resolution MEPC.277(70) and implemented under the 2017 Guidelines in Resolution MEPC.295(71)), garbage is divided into Part I (Categories A to I — all ships) and Part II (Categories J and K — ships carrying solid bulk cargoes). Every discharge into the sea, incineration on board or discharge to a port reception facility must be recorded in cubic metres (m³) with date, time, ship’s position or port name, and signed by the officer in charge:
| Category | Garbage Type & Book Part | MARPOL Annex V Discharge Rule (Outside vs Inside Special Areas) |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Plastics (Part I) | All discharge into the sea is strictly PROHIBITED everywhere (both inside and outside Special Areas). Retain on board for shore reception. |
| Category B | Food wastes (Part I) | Outside Special Areas: ≥ 3 nm en route if comminuted/ground (≤ 25 mm screen) or ≥ 12 nm if not comminuted. Inside Special Areas: ≥ 12 nm en route ONLY if comminuted/ground (≤ 3 nm in Wider Caribbean Region under MEPC.191(60)); prohibited in Antarctic unless avian products are sterilised. |
| Category C | Domestic wastes (Part I) | Paper, cardboard, rags, glass, metal, bottles, crockery — discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED. |
| Category D | Cooking oil (Part I) | All edible oil or animal fat used or intended for food preparation — discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED. |
| Category E | Incinerator ashes (Part I) | Ash and clinkers from shipboard incinerators — discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED. |
| Category F | Operational wastes (Part I) | Solid wastes (including slurries, cleaning agents/additives in washwater if harmful to the marine environment, dunnage, lining/packing material) — discharge is PROHIBITED except non-harmful washwater. |
| Category G | Animal carcasses (Part I) | Outside Special Areas: as far from nearest land as possible and en route; prohibited inside Special Areas. |
| Category H | Fishing gear (Part I) | All discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED; accidental loss must be recorded when it poses a significant threat to the marine environment or navigation. |
| Category I | E-waste (Part I) | Electronic cards, gadgets, instruments, equipment, computers, printer cartridges — discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED (added by MEPC.277(70)). |
| Category J | Cargo residues — non-HME (Part II) | Solid bulk cargo residues NOT harmful to the marine environment: outside Special Areas ≥ 12 nm en route; inside Special Areas prohibited unless strict transit/no-reception conditions in Reg. 6.1.2 are met. |
| Category K | Cargo residues — HME (Part II) | Solid bulk cargo residues classified as Harmful to the Marine Environment under the IMSBC Code — discharge into the sea is PROHIBITED everywhere; washwater must go to a shore reception facility. |
- MARPOL Annex V Special Areas: Zero-discharge / strict comminuted-food-only rules apply inside the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea (effective 1 Jan 2025 under MEPC.382(80)), Gulfs Area (ROPME Sea Area under MEPC.168(56)), North Sea, Antarctic Area and Wider Caribbean Region (where comminuted food waste ≤ 25 mm may be discharged ≥ 3 nm from land under MEPC.191(60); ≥ 12 nm in all other Special Areas).
- Incinerator restrictions & receipts: Shipboard incineration of PCBs, garbage containing more than traces of heavy metals, refined petroleum products containing halogen compounds, PVC plastics (except in type-approved incinerators certified for PVC) and sewage sludge/sludge oil not generated on board is prohibited under MARPOL Annex VI Reg. 16. Keep every port waste-reception receipt filed with the Garbage Record Book for at least 2 years.
Questions seafarers ask
Which ships must carry an Oil Record Book Part I and Part II under MARPOL Annex I?
Under MARPOL Annex I Regulation 17, every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above and every ship of 400 gross tonnage and above other than an oil tanker must be provided with an Oil Record Book Part I (Machinery Space Operations). Under Regulation 36, every oil tanker of 150 gross tonnage and above must also be provided with an Oil Record Book Part II (Cargo/Ballast Operations). Both books must be retained on board for 3 years after the last entry has been made.
How should a mistake in the Oil Record Book or Garbage Record Book be corrected?
Never use correction fluid (white-out), erasers, scratch-outs or torn pages. Draw a single neat horizontal line through the incorrect entry so the original text remains completely legible, write the correct entry immediately below or alongside, and sign and date the correction with the rank and name of the officer who made the original entry (and have the Master countersign the page). If an omission is discovered later, record it under Code I (ORB Part I) or Code O (ORB Part II) on the current date, referencing the earlier operation date.
Which ships require a Garbage Management Plan, Placards and Garbage Record Book under MARPOL Annex V?
Under MARPOL Annex V Regulation 10 and IMO Resolution MEPC.295(71) (2017 Guidelines for the Implementation of MARPOL Annex V): (1) Placards in the working language of the crew and in English, French or Spanish are required on every ship of 12 metres or more in length overall; (2) a written Garbage Management Plan (based on IMO Resolution MEPC.220(63)) is required on every ship of 100 GT and above and every ship certified to carry 15 or more persons; and (3) a Garbage Record Book (retained for at least 2 years from the last entry) is required on every ship of 400 GT and above and every ship certified to carry 15 or more persons engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals of other Parties.
Can Oil Record Books and Garbage Record Books be kept electronically?
Yes, provided the Electronic Record Book (ERB) software is approved under IMO Resolution MEPC.312(74) (Guidelines for the use of electronic record books under MARPOL) together with the mandatory MARPOL convention amendments in Resolutions MEPC.314(74) (Annexes I, II and V), MEPC.316(74) (Annex VI) and MEPC.317(74) (NOx Technical Code 2008), in force since 1 October 2020, and carries a written Declaration of MARPOL Electronic Record Book issued by the ship’s Flag Administration or its authorised Recognised Organisation.
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