---
title: "Compare a ship-sale buyer to the documentation eligibility categories"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/review-a-ship-sale-memorandum-of-agreement-on-the-standard-form/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A37-T20261018-23-US"
practice_area: "Maritime, Shipping & Transport"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Compare a ship-sale buyer to the documentation eligibility categories

> Copy the buyer description the memorandum already states, and record which category in 46 USC section 12103(b) the description appears to name. Do not say a certificate will issue, and do not add a sale-form clause.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/review-a-ship-sale-memorandum-of-agreement-on-the-standard-form/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Maritime, Shipping & Transport](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | Copy the buyer description the memorandum already states, and record which category in 46 USC section 12103(b) the description appears to name. Do not say a certificate will issue, and do not add a sale-form clause. |
| What the lawyer must review | Section 12103(a) provides that a certificate of documentation may be issued only if the vessel is wholly owned by eligible owners under subsection (b), is at least 5 net tons, and is not documented under a foreign country. Subsection (b) lists an individual United States citizen; an association, trust, joint venture, or other entity whose members are citizens and which can hold title; a partnership whose general partners are citizens and whose controlling interest is owned by citizens; a corporation incorporated under United States or state law whose chief executive officer and chairman of the board are citizens and whose noncitizen directors are no more than a minority of the number needed for a quorum; the United States Government; and the government of a State. Subsection (c) allows a temporary certificate before measurement, notwithstanding subsection (a)(2). A coastwise endorsement is a further question and is not decided by section 12103. No sale-form clauses were opened. You decide eligibility. Opinion 512. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Review a ship sale memorandum of agreement on the standard form](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/review-a-ship-sale-memorandum-of-agreement-on-the-standard-form.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: Copy the buyer description the memorandum already states, and record which category in 46 USC section 12103(b) the description appears to name. Do not say a certificate will issue, and do not add a sale-form clause.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not treat section 12103 as a coastwise-trade endorsement.
- A memorandum that does not identify the buyer cannot be matched to subsection (b). Leave the category blank.

## Sources

- [46 USC 12103 (general eligibility for a certificate of documentation)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/46/12103) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*