The validity of a successful BSS examination is ordinarily four years minus one day.
Thus the usual date of expiry will be the day before the date of examination 4 years hence. For example, if a BSSC is issued on the 15/8/2010, the expiry date is 14/8/2014.
Many navigation authorities are now reminding boat owners by letter and email to renew their boat's BSS validity in a timely way. Owners can do this by using the potential provision of extending the expiry date, which is applicable in very specific circumstances. In some cases these letters go out three months in advance of that expiry.
This is very useful provision, within the specified framework, to allow owners some flexibility in arranging their new BSS without losing any length of overall validity of the BSS.
Please remember to cover off this subject in your initial dealings with the boat owner.
How it works
Where a boat is licensed or registered against an existing, passed BSS examination, an Annex IIIa, or Annex XV Recreational Craft Directory declaration, and there is 2 months or less left until a new BSS is needed, then the expiry date for the new successful BSS examination can be extended beyond four years.
This means for example, in where a current certificate expires on 15/08/2010, and the date of a successful examination is 10/07/2010, you can input the new BSS expiry date as 14/08/2014 and not 09/07/2014.
And if you are unsure about where the expiry date is changed - read the How To Guide on the How To Guides and BSS forms page of this website
RCD documents' dates
Annex XV Declarations of Conformity and Annex IIIa declarations do not expire and owners should always keep them safe. However for licensing or registration purposes only, these documents can be used for the periods described below.
With Annex XV RCD Declarations of Conformity, it is fourth anniversary the relevant date is the one signed of as being when the boat was first put into use on an Annex XV.
With an Annex IIIa, it is the first anniversary of the date the boat shell is declared as being handed over for further completion - (see the examiners support site for further information about the RCD and its associated documents).
Thus it is these anniversary dates that should be treated in the BSS extension period as BSS validity expiry dates.
Further guidance Q&A's
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the exiting BSS has already expired? NO, in that case the new BSS must last for four years minus one day.
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the boat has annex XV Declaration of Conformity that is any older than exactly 4 years i.e a day or more past its fourth anniversary? NO, in that case the new BSS must last for four years minus one day.
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the boat has Annex IIIa Declaration of Conformity that is any older than exactly one year i.e a day or more past its first anniversary? NO, in that case the new BSS can only last for four years minus one day.
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the exiting BSS more than two months left to run e.g. two months and a day or more? NO, in that case the new BSS can only last for four years minus one day.
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the boat has annex XV Declaration of Conformity that is younger than 3 years and 10 months? NO, in that case the new BSS must last for four years minus one day.
Can the BSS validity extension be applied to boats where the boat has Annex IIIa Declaration of Conformity that is any younger than 10 months? NO, in that case the new BSS must last for four years minus one day.
Can a new boat, not holding a BSS or Declaration of Conformity be a part of the extended expiry date process? NO, in that case the new BSS must last for four years minus one day.