Maritime Commission Renews Federal Paperwork for Shipping Middlemen
Published Date: 11/2/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Maritime Commission is asking to keep collecting info from Ocean Transportation Intermediaries but wants to update and improve the process. This affects companies involved in shipping and logistics, and the public can comment until December 2, 2026. The goal is to make paperwork easier and more modern without adding extra costs or delays.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Continuing licensing and recordkeeping burden for OTIs
The Commission will continue to require licensing, registration, financial-responsibility evidence, and recordkeeping under 46 CFR part 515 using Forms FMC-18, FMC-48, FMC-65, FMC-69, and related forms. The agency estimates up to 9,611 entities in the annual respondent universe, 19,046 annual responses, and a total annual burden of 6,286.66 person-hours. Estimated times include 2 hours for a new FMC-18 filing, 1 hour for an FMC-18 amendment, 10 minutes for a triennial renewal, and 10 minutes for most financial responsibility forms.
Electronic forms moved to modern systems
If you apply for or maintain an Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) license, the Commission will move its electronic Form FMC-18 and other forms to new systems using Microsoft Entra ID and ServiceNow so you can use modern browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Safari). The legacy FMC-18 that required Internet Explorer will be replaced, and amendment filings and certain financial forms will auto-populate previously submitted entity information to reduce data entry and errors.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
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