Clear Grounds in Port State Control
Clear grounds are the evidence that lets a PSC officer move from an initial to a more detailed inspection, listed in nine categories in IMO A.1206(34).
Clear grounds are the evidence that entitles a port State control officer to go beyond the certificates and carry out a more detailed inspection. UNCLOS Article 226(1)(a) limits physical inspection to documents unless clear grounds exist, and IMO resolution A.1206(34), the Procedures for Port State Control, 2025, defines the term at paragraph 1.7.2 and lists nine categories at paragraph 2.4.2.
MLC 2006 Standard A5.2.1(1) sets a parallel list of four triggers for labour conditions. The full article will cover each category, the Paris and Tokyo MoU lists, and how clear grounds are recorded and challenged, within port State control .