ITUPublications International Telecommunication Union
Radiocommunication Bureau
Licence Agreement and Disclaimer of Warranty
1. The publications of the International Telecommunication Union
List V
(“ITU”) are protected by copyright law. The publication contained
2025 edition
herein (“Publication”), or any part thereof, may not be reproduced,
by any means whatsoever, without the prior written authorization
of ITU.
List of Ship Stations
2. ITU hereby grants you a non-exclusive non-transferable right to
use the Publication, such use constituting your agreement with
the terms and conditions of the present Licence Agreement.
3. The use of the Publication is limited to one ship station. Access to
the Publication via a network or a website is not allowed. and Maritime Mobile
4. This product is provided without warranty of any kind. In particular,
ITU does not warrant or make any representations regarding the Service Identity
Assignments
use, or the results of use, of this product in terms of correctness,
reliability or otherwise. Under no circumstances shall ITU be held
List of Ship Stations and Maritime Mobile Service Identity Assignments
liable for any direct or indirect damages arising out of the use of,
or inability to use, this product.
2025 edition
International Telecommunication Union
Sales and Marketing Division
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 730 5194
Tel.: +41 22 730 6141
E-mail: sales@itu.int
Web: www.itu.int/publications
www.itu.int/ITU-R/go/mars
List V
List of Ship Stations and
Maritime Mobile Service
Identity Assignments
User Guide
Drawn up by
the INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
2025 edition
GENEVA
DISCLAIMER
This List is published by the International Telecommunication Union, based on information
provided by the administrations of its Member States. The ITU expressly disclaims any
responsibility, with respect to this List, for the accuracy of the information it contains, including
any defects or failures of the stations described, or for any damage or loss related to use of
this List.
List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Ship Station search 3
2.1. Search field description and parameters
2.2. Search filter descriptions
2.3. Ship Station search results
2.4. Ship Station details
2.5. Ship Station notes (digital download version)
2.6. Managing your List of Ships (digital download version)
3. Administration search 11
3.1. Administration search results
4. Accounting Authority (AAIC) search 13
5. Other Assigned Identities 14
6. Reference Tables 15
7. Updating database (digital download version) 17
8. Publication verification and authentication 19
8.1. Verifying Digital download version
8.2. Verifying CD-ROM or USB version
8.3. Publication expiration
9. Publication online renewal (digital download version) 23
10. Accessing other ITU maritime publications
(digital download version) 25
11. Registering CD-ROM or USB version 27
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
1. Introduction
The List of Ship Stations and Maritime Mobile Service Identity
Assignments (List V) is issued annually by the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) in accordance with provision
No. 20.8 of the Radio Regulations. List V is primarily distributed in
a digital download format via the internet connection. For ships
without internet connectivity, List V is also available on USB and
CD-ROM. Users should note that some enhanced List V features
are only available with the digital download version. Once
downloaded, the digital download version can be used offline.
List V contains a searchable database with the details of
approximately one million Ship Stations as officially provided by
administrations. In addition, it contains the contact information
of administrations and accounting authorities, details of coast
stations with an MMSI, search and rescue (SAR) aircraft with
an MMSI, and groups of ships with common identifiers. This
information is required for operations in the Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and for maritime general
radiocommunications. The Ship Station and related accounting
authority details provided in the List may be required by ships
requesting public correspondence and maritime mobile satellite
services.
As an essential reference resource used by SAR authorities and
vessels during search and rescue operations and for day-to-day
communications, Appendix 16 to the Radio Regulations stipulates
that List V should be provided to all Ship Stations for which a
GMDSS installation is required by international agreement.
This includes ships subject to the International Convention for the
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974.
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
In view of the importance of the information contained in List
V, particularly regarding safety, updates are to be notified
immediately by administrations to the ITU Radiocommunication
Bureau (BR), in accordance with provision No. 20.16 of the Radio
Regulations. Any details observed which may require updating,
should be brought to the attention of the administration having
jurisdiction over the station(s) concerned, so that the appropriate
amendments can be officially notified to the ITU.
In addition to List V, ITU publishes two other maritime service
publications: the List of Coast Stations and Special Service
Stations (List IV), and the Manual for Use by the maritime mobile
and maritime mobile-satellite services (Maritime Manual). List IV
is an essential information resource for ships and the maritime
industry. It contains coast station information such as operational
frequencies and channels, hours and times of services, stations’
MMSIs and call signs, geographical coordinates and information
on GMDSS sea areas. The Maritime Manual provides the maritime
community with a description of the GMDSS and other maritime
operational procedures. The Maritime Manual also provides
mariners with a compilation of the most relevant ITU treaty,
regulatory, technical and operational texts that are relevant to the
maritime radiocommunication services. It provides an accessible
reference for the application of maritime radiocommunication
procedures.
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
2. Ship Station search
To search for a Ship Station, enter a valid search parameter into
one or more of the search fields. Complete or partial terms may
be used to initiate a search. Searches can be refined or initiated by
selecting from the drop-down filter menus.
Search fields Search Filters
• Ship name • Administration
• MMSI Geographical Area
• Call Sign • General Classification
• Vessel Identification Number
• EPIRB Hex ID
• Satellite Number
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2.1. Search field description and parameters
Ship Name:
The official name of the ship (vessel).
• Field parameters: Maximum length of 50 characters.
ASCII printable characters only.
Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) and Identity for the
Handheld VHF DSC
A Ship Station MMSI is a nine-digit unique identity in the format
M1I2D3X4X5X6X7X8X9, where the first three digits represent the
Maritime Identification Digits (MID), and X is any digits from 0 to 9.
The MID denotes the administration having jurisdiction over the
Ship Station or craft.
MMSIs assigned to craft associated with a parent ship are a 9-digit
unique number in the format 9182M3I4D5X6X7X8X9 where the digits
3, 4 and 5 represent the MID and X is any digits from 0 to 9.
Handheld VHF transceiver with DSC and integral GNSS receiver
participating in the maritime mobile service should be assigned
a unique 9-digit number in the format 81M2I3D4X5X6X7X8X9 where
digits 2, 3 and 4 represents the MID and X is any figure from 0 to
9. The MID represents the administration assigning the identity to
the handheld transceiver.
• Field parameters: Digits only. Maximum input 9 digits.
Call Sign
Call signs in the international series are formed as indicated
in provision No. 19.55 of the Radio Regulations in one of the
following four formats:
— two characters and two letters;
— two characters, two letters and one digit (other than the digits
0 or 1);
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
— two characters (provided that the second is a letter) followed
by four digits (other than the digits 0 or 1 in cases where they
immediately follow a letter);
— two characters and one letter followed by four digits (other
than the digits 0 or 1 in cases where they immediately follow a
letter).
• Field parameters: Letters and digits only. Maximum length 7
characters.
EPIRB Hex ID
A Hex ID is a 15- or 23-character hexadecimal identification. Each
satellite emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB) has a
unique Hex ID encoded to identify the EPIRB and the associated
vessel in the event of a beacon activation.
• Field parameters: Digits 0 to 9 and letters A to F.
Vessel Identification Number
The IMO ship identification number (seven digits), or national
registration identity.
• Field parameters: ASCII printable characters only.
Satellite Number
Ship earth station identity (satellite number).
• Field parameters: Digits only. Maximum input 16 digits.
2.2. Search filter descriptions
Administration and Geographical Area
The administration or geographical area with jurisdiction over the
Ship Station. Identified by a designated one- or three-character
symbol and the name of the administration or geographical area
(see reference Table 1 - Administration identity allocations).
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
General Classification
A two-letter symbol used to denote the general classification of a
ship (see reference Table 2 – Ship classes and abbreviations).
2.3. Ship Station search results
— Results are listed by ship (vessel) name and can be sorted or
reorganised by clicking on any of the column headers.
— The inputted user search text/term is highlighted in blue text
in the listed results.
— The number of results is displayed at the bottom right of the
page.
— Results can be further refined by searching within the list of
results.
— To view the full details of a Ship Station, double-click on the
relevant row within the list of results.
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2.4. Ship Station details
— Ship Station details can be printed or saved as a PDF file using
the buttons on the top right side of the screen.
— Full details of the Ship Station’s Flag Administration and
Accounting Authority can be directly accessed by clicking on
the highlighted blue text in the relevant field.
2.5. Ship Station notes (digital download version)
Users can create, edit, and delete their own notes for Ship
Stations. This allows users to record and update additional useful
information within individual Ship Station profiles. Notes added
by users are displayed at the bottom of the Ship Station details
screen. Ship Stations which have a note added by the user are
automatically saved to the user’s List of Ships.
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Creating, editing, and deleting a note
— Use the Ship Station search function to find the record you
want to add a note to.
— Click on the Note button at the upper right of the Ship Station
details screen.
— Enter your note in the text field provided and click OK to save
the note.
Editing and deleting an existing note
— Users can use steps 1-3 above to edit or delete the text of
existing notes.
— Existing notes can also be deleted by using the Remove Note
button within My List of Ships.
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2.6. Managing your List of Ships (digital download version)
The My List of Ships feature provides users with quick access to
Ship Station records that may be frequently required. Ship Stations
with a note added by the user are also automatically saved to the
user’s List of Ships.
Adding ships to your list
— Use the Ship Station search function to find the ship that you
want to add to your list.
— Click on the Add to My List button at the upper right of the
Ship Station details screen. The ship will be added to your list
of ships.
Removing ships from your list
— Use the Ship Station search function to find the ship you want
to remove from your list.
— Click on the Remove from My List button at the upper right of
the Ship Station details screen (Note, this button is only visible
if the ship is already in your list).
— Ships and associated notes can also be removed from the list
by using the Remove from My List or Remove Note buttons at
the upper right of the list page.
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3. Administration search
— Administrations can be selected from the (Administration and
Geographical Area) drop-down filter menu.
— Alternatively, administrations can be searched by Maritime
Identification Digit (MID) or by Call Sign Series Range. The
MID field accepts a maximum of 3 digits. The Call Sign Series
Range accepts a maximum of 2 alphanumeric characters.
3.1. Administration search results
— Search results include the contact information, and the details
of the identity series allocated to the Administration, including
MIDs and call signs.
— Administration details can be printed or saved as a PDF file
using the buttons on the top right side of the screen.
— Full details of the Accounting Authorities accepted by the
Administration can be directly accessed by clicking on the
highlighted blue text in the AAIC field.
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4. Accounting Authority (AAIC) search
— Accounting authorities can be selected from the (AAIC) drop-
down filter menu.
— The (Administration and Geographical Area) drop-down filter
menu can be used to select an administration or geographical
area and view the accounting authorities accepted by it for
ships under its jurisdiction.
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5. Other Assigned Identities
List V contains details of the following additional identities in a
PDF searchable format:
— Coast Stations with an MMSI
Coast Stations for which an MMSI has been assigned by the
responsible Administration.
— Predetermined groups of Ship Stations with common
identifiers
Predetermined groups of Ship Stations for which a common
MMSI, call sign and/or selective call number has been notified
to the BR.
— Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft MMSIs
Search and Rescue (SAR) aircraft stations for which an MMSI
has been notified to the BR.
To access these identity records, click on the (Other Assigned
Identities) option and select the list from the drop-down menu at
the upper right of the page.
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6. Reference Tables
List V contains explanatory reference information which is
contained in three separate PDF searchable tables. To access
these tables, click on the (Reference Tables) option and select the
table from the drop-down menu at the upper right of the page.
Reference Tables:
Table 1 - Administration designated symbol
Designation of administrations/Geographical areas (in
alphabetical order of symbols).
Table 2 - Ship classes and abbreviations
Symbols that designate classes of ships and other abbreviations.
Table 3 - Administration Identity Allocations
Consolidated allocation list of Maritime Identification Digits (MID),
call sign series, blocks of coast station identification numbers,
blocks of selective call numbers for Ship Stations and groups of
Ship Stations allocated to administrations and/or geographical
areas.
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7. Updating database
(digital download version)
Updates to Ship Station, Accounting Authorities, and
Administration database information are available to download
via the internet. The date of the last publication database update
is indicated on the left of the screen. New updates are released
on the first day of each month.
The Update Database refresh button is displayed when an
update is available. To update the database, click on the Update
Database refresh button. Users are recommended to maintain
their database updates when possible. Updates are made
available by ITU at no cost to users, however data charges may
be applied by communication service providers.
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8. Publication verification and
authentication
8.1. Verifying Digital download version
The ship station details entered by the user during the
registration of the publication are displayed on the left side of
the screen, along with the publication expiry date. The availability
of these details allows users to easily demonstrate compliance
with ship publication carriage requirements stipulated in
Appendix 16 to the Radio Regulations. It also assists ship
inspectors, e.g. radio surveyors, or port state control officers to
confirm that publications are valid and assigned to a particular
ship.
Publication verification
— Confirm that the publication has not passed its expiration date
(is in date).
— Confirm that the Ship Name, Call Sign, and MMSI correspond
to those of the ship.
— Scan the QR code on the lower left of the screen to confirm
the publication authenticity, expiry date, and registered ship
information.
— A digital certificate is also available by clicking on the
Certificate button. It includes details of the registration status
for the ship regarding the three ITU maritime publications
which are stipulated in Appendix 16 to the Radio Regulations.
The certificate can be downloaded in PDF format by clicking
on the download button at the top right of the screen.
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List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
— If it is indicated that your ship is not currently in the ITU
database, it is recommended that you contact the ship’s flag
Administration (the issuer of your ship station licence), so that
an appropriate notification regarding your ship can be sent
by the Administration to ITU. Details of administrations are
available within the Administration search.
— If/when an appropriate notification is received by ITU from
your Administration, your ship’s details will be added to the
ITU database. Following this, the indication “your ship is not
currently in the ITU database” will no longer be displayed on
screen after your publication database is next updated.
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8.2. Verifying CD-ROM or USB version
Publication verification
— The publication CD-ROM or USB and its original cover must
be provided onboard the ship and available for inspection.
— Confirm publication authenticity, expiry date, and registered
ship information by scanning the QR code on the back
of the publication cover. Verify that the Ship Name and
identities correspond to those of the ship and that the
publication is in date. If the publication is not yet registered, it
is strongly recommended it be registered to the ship.
8.3. Publication expiration
— If the expiry date has passed, the publication is no longer
valid.
— Publication expired will be indicated on the screen and
the expired status will also be indicated if the QR code is
scanned.
— Expired content may remain accessible to users. However,
as the publication edition is expired, the content no longer
fulfils the carriage requirements of Appendix 16 to the Radio
Regulations. Therefore, update of the publication to the latest
edition is required.
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9. Publication online renewal (digital
List V – 2025 edition – User Guide
download version)
Upon the purchase of a new edition of List V, a Publication License
ID will be sent to the email address provided, if this email is the
same address used to register previous publication editions,
List V will automatically be renewed when the publication is next
accessed. The following confirmation message will be displayed:
If a different email address is provided during the purchase of
the publication, the user should access their settings and click
on the <Register> button in the publication renewal column. The
user should enter their new Publication License ID and the e-mail,
address registered during the purchase.
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10. Accessing other ITU maritime
publications (digital download version)
— To change between ITU maritime publications (List IV), (List V)
and (Maritime Manual), click on the Home button at the top of
the screen and select the required publication.
— New publications can be registered by selecting the required
publication and entering the License ID and email address
which was provided during the purchase of the publication.
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11. Registering CD-ROM or USB version
It is strongly recommended that CD-ROM or USB version be
registered where possible, as this assists users to demonstrate
compliance with ship publication carriage requirements stipulated
in Appendix 16 to the Radio Regulations. It also assists ship
inspectors, e.g. radio surveyors, or port state control officers to
confirm that publications are valid and assigned to a particular
ship.
— CD-ROM or USB version is registered by scanning the QR
code on the back of the publication cover, or by using the URL
inside the publication cover. The QR code or URL provide a link
to the publication registration page where the ship’s details
should be registered.
— If it is indicated that your ship is not currently in the ITU
database, it is recommended that you contact the ship’s flag
Administration (the issuer of your ship station licence), so that an
appropriate notification regarding your ship can be sent by the
Administration to ITU. Details of administrations are available
within the Administration search section of List V.
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