Section 5(1) in The Merchant Shipping (Management for the Safe Operation of Ships) Rules, 2000
(1)A Document of Compliance shall be issued by the Central Government to a Company after an initial verification of compliance with the requirements of the International Safety Management Code, for which purpose:-(a)the Auditor shall verify that the establishment and implementation of the Safety Management System meet the objectives specified in rule 3, and on satisfactory completion of such verification, the Auditor shall present a declaration to the Central Government to that effect; and(b)where such declaration is found satisfactory, the Central Government shall issue a Document of Compliance, valid for a period of five years from the date of completion of assessment if there are no major non-conformities, or from the date of satisfactory closure of major non-conformities, as the case may be.
