Establishing United States Citizenship for MARAD Program Participation; Simplifying the Application Process
Key claim: MARAD’s final rule simplifies and modernizes the process for corporations to establish U.S. citizenship for program participation by eliminating birth-date/place disclosures, notarization requirements, and certain stock-ownership reporting, while streamlining recertification.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Maritime Administration) On July 1, 2025, MARAD published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), titled “How to Best Evidence Corporate Citizenship: Policy and Regulatory Review,” soliciting public comment on actions MARAD could take to improve the process for evidencing U.S. citizenship. The final rule will simplify and modernize the process for establishing United States citizenship of corporations and other business formations participating in MARAD programs. In the interest of minimizing the unnecessary disclosure of personally identifiable information, the final rule will also eliminate the requirement to provide dates and places of birth of corporate executives, directors, and stock owners as required in the current form of affidavit of citizenship. The final rule will also amend the form of affidavit with respect to entities that are publicly traded by eliminating the requirement to provide certain information regarding registered owners of stock, eliminate the notarization requirement, and provide a simple and streamlined process for recertification.
Why this matters
MARAD programs require participating vessel operators to be U.S. citizens under statutory definitions, and the paperwork burden of proving that has historically been a friction point for corporate applicants. Simplifying disclosures and recertification lowers administrative overhead for shipping companies seeking access to programs like the Tanker Security Program and the Maritime Security Program without changing the underlying citizenship criteria. The change is procedural modernization within an existing regulatory framework.