Port State Control

PSC action codes: code 30 detention and codes 10, 16 and 17 explained

Every deficiency on a port State control report carries an action code that tells the ship what happens next: closed on the spot (10), fix within 14 days (16), fix before sailing (17) — or code 30, ground for detention, which keeps the ship in port.

The codes are set by each regional MoU, not by the IMO, and they are not all the same. This guide shows the codes side by side, who uses code 30, every current Paris MoU code and how a detained ship is released.

Updated 30 October 2026 · Written by SeaReady in our own words. Not affiliated with OCIMF, RightShip, CDI, any MoU or any administration — always check the current official documents.

Code 10, 16, 17 and 30 at a glance

Our summary of the Paris MoU guidelines on action taken (PSCC59/2026/03), the Tokyo MOU 2024 CIC report and the Indian Ocean MOU Form B. Always read the code key printed on your own report.
Code	Meaning	When it must be put right	Used by
Code 10	Deficiency rectified	Closed: put right during the inspection and seen by the PSC officer	Paris MoU and other MoUs
Code 16	Rectify within 14 days	Within 14 days of the inspection (the most it allows; sooner if you can)	Paris MoU and other MoUs
Code 17	Rectify before departure	Before the ship sails from this port; the ship is not detained	Paris MoU, Tokyo MOU and other MoUs
Code 30	Ground for detention	The ship is detained until the port State is satisfied it can sail	Tokyo MOU and Indian Ocean MOU (the Paris MoU ticks a “ground for detention” box instead)

What code 30 means — and why your report may not show it

Code 30 is the detention code. A PSC officer uses it when a deficiency is so serious that the ship cannot sail without danger to the ship, the people on board or the environment. The Tokyo MOU still prints code 30 against detainable deficiencies, and its own reports count them that way (Tokyo MOU 2024 CIC report). The Indian Ocean MOU form lists 30 as “detainable deficiency” (IOMOU Form B).

The Paris MoU dropped code 30. On a Paris MoU report a detainable deficiency has its “ground for detention” box ticked, next to an ordinary action code such as 17. Paris MoU reports also have tick boxes for RO responsibility, accidental damage and ISM-related deficiencies.

The IMO procedures — Res. A.1206(34), Procedures for Port State Control, 2025, adopted on 3 December 2025 and replacing A.1185(33) — say when a ship should be detained and how it is released, but their report form has an “action taken” column in words, not numbered codes (A.1206(34)).

Every current Paris MoU action code

Paris MoU — guidelines on detention and action taken (PSCC59/2026/03) — Annex 1, our wording.
Code	Meaning	In plain words
10	Rectified	Put right during the inspection and seen by the PSCO.
15	Rectify at next port	Fix it before or at the next port of call.
16	Rectify within 14 days	Not urgent enough to hold the ship — fix within 14 days, sooner if you reasonably can.
17	Rectify before departure	The Master must have it fixed before sailing (no PSCO re-check needed unless asked).
19	Flag safety-management audit before departure	A detainable ISM failure: the flag (or its RO) audits the SMS on board before the ship sails.
21	ISM corrective action within 3 months	The company must close the ISM deficiency within 3 months — after that it counts against the ship.
26	Security authority informed	A security (ISPS) deficiency passed to the competent security authority.
46	Rectify at agreed repair port	Sail to an agreed repair port and fix it there.
47	As agreed class condition	Fixed under a condition agreed with class.
48	As agreed flag condition	Fixed under a condition agreed with the flag State.
49	As agreed MLC plan of action	An MLC deficiency put right through an agreed plan of action.
55	Flag State consulted	The PSCO consulted the flag State about the deficiency.
65	Operation stopped	An operation (e.g. cargo work) is stopped until put right.
80	Temporary substitution	Equipment temporarily replaced by an accepted substitute.
81	Temporary repair carried out	A temporary repair accepted — a permanent repair is still owed.
95	Letter of warning issued	A formal warning letter (e.g. under the EU rules).
96	Letter of warning withdrawn	An earlier warning letter withdrawn.
99	Master instructed to … (other)	A specific instruction with its own time limit — read the report and copy the deadline.

Older codes still seen on reports from other MoUs (none of them is in the Paris MoU list): 18 (rectify within 3 months), 30 (ground for detention), 40 (next port informed), 45 (rectify detainable deficiency at next port), 50 (flag / consul informed), 70 (recognised organisation informed), 85 (marpol discharge investigation). Source for these: Indian Ocean MOU Form B code key.

What can detain a ship

Appendix 2 of A.1206(34) lists the areas where a serious failure is a ground for detention. In short:

Fire safety and life-saving appliances (SOLAS): fixed fire-fighting systems, fire pumps, fire doors and dampers, lifeboats, liferafts and their launching gear that do not work.
Navigation and radio (SOLAS IV and V): charts or ENCs not up to date for the voyage, radio equipment not working — and, newly listed, no valid LRIT conformance test report, or a Master or officer not familiar with the LRIT procedures.
Pollution prevention (MARPOL): the oily water separator, oil discharge monitoring or 15 ppm alarm missing or not working, the Oil Record Book not available, an unauthorised discharge bypass — and, under Annex VI, no valid IAPP certificate or no valid DCS / CII Statement of Compliance.
Crew (STCW): seafarers without a valid certificate or dispensation, manning below the safe manning requirements, or watch arrangements that do not meet the flag State’s requirements.
Living and working conditions (MLC 2006 / ILO PSC guidelines — not Appendix 2): port States that have ratified MLC 2006 can also detain for serious MLC failures, such as unpaid wages or repeated hours-of-rest breaches, following MLC Standard A5.2.1 and the ILO guidelines for port State control officers.
ISM Code: a serious failure or lack of effectiveness of the safety management system — often shown by many deficiencies across the ship. It is cleared by a safety management audit by the flag State or its RO (Paris MoU code 19).

How a code 30 detention is lifted

Tell the company, flag and class the same day. The DPA, the flag State and the recognised organisation (class) need to know about every detainable deficiency.
Put it right, or agree how. Repair the item, or agree a temporary repair or substitution (Paris MoU codes 80 and 81) and a plan with the flag State and class.
Ask for the re-inspection. The detention is lifted only when the port State is satisfied — usually after a PSC officer has checked the work. The release is given in writing with the report.
If the repair cannot be done in port: the port State may allow the ship to sail to the nearest suitable repair yard on conditions agreed with the flag State (Paris MoU codes 46–48), and alerts the next port if the conditions are not kept.
Close the follow-up codes. A detention often comes with other deficiencies under codes 16, 17 or 21 — log each one with its own due date and evidence.

Turn a code 17 into a code 10 before the PSC officer leaves

A defect put right in front of the PSC officer, before the closing meeting, is recorded as code 10 (rectified) instead of 16 or 17. It still counts as a deficiency, but it shows a crew in control and avoids a delay.

Keep a small repair team on the radio while the Master, Chief Officer or Chief Engineer walks with the PSC officer — a blown lamp, a stiff damper or an out-of-date posted list can often be fixed in minutes.
Show the fixed item before the report is printed, so the officer can record code 10 against it.
Log the rest at once in the Findings tracker with the code, the due date and an owner.

Questions seafarers ask

What does code 30 mean on a PSC inspection report?

Code 30 means “ground for detention”: the port State control officer judged the deficiency serious enough to detain the ship. It is the code used by the Tokyo MOU and the Indian Ocean MOU. The Paris MoU no longer uses code 30 — it ticks a “ground for detention” box next to the deficiency instead. The IMO procedures (Res. A.1206(34)) describe detention but set no numbered codes; each MoU keeps its own list.

What is the difference between code 17 and code 30?

Code 17 tells the Master to put the deficiency right before the ship sails, but the ship is not detained. Under the Paris MoU guidelines the PSC officer does not have to come back to check a code 17. Code 30 means the ship is detained: it may not sail until the deficiency is put right (or the port State agrees conditions for sailing to a repair yard) and the authority is satisfied.

How does a Master get a code 30 detention lifted?

Put the deficiency right, or agree a repair plan with the flag State and the recognised organisation (class), then ask the port State to re-inspect. The detention is lifted when the authority is satisfied, usually after a PSC officer has checked the work, and the release is given in writing. Where the repair cannot be done in port, the port State may let the ship sail to the nearest suitable repair yard on conditions agreed with the flag State (Paris MoU codes 46 to 48 record these).

What is code 16 on a PSC report?

Code 16 means rectify the deficiency within 14 days. Fourteen days is the longest it allows — fix it sooner if you reasonably can, and keep dated evidence of the repair.

Which codes are used for ISM deficiencies?

In the Paris MoU, code 21 asks the company to put an ISM deficiency right within 3 months, and code 19 (a detainable ISM failure) needs a safety management audit by the flag State or its recognised organisation before the ship sails. The Indian Ocean MOU form uses codes 10, 18 (within 3 months) and 30 for ISM deficiencies. Under IMO Res. A.1206(34), a detainable ISM deficiency is cleared by an audit by the Administration or its RO before release.

Can a detention be reviewed?

Yes — the MoUs have a detention review procedure that the flag State or RO can use. Tokyo MOU case 42-01-2023, for example, was a request to downgrade a code 30 to a code 17. Ask your flag and class about the procedure of the MoU that detained the ship, and keep working on the repair in the meantime.

Track and close PSC findings in SeaReady

Add each PSC deficiency to the Findings tracker with its action code — SeaReady works out the due date (code 16: 14 days, code 17: before sailing), assigns an owner and keeps before-and-after photos for the close-out pack.

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