Certification Requirements for Distributors of NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts/NOAA Hydrographic Products

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is promulgating certification requirements with standards for applicants who want to redistribute NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (NOAA ENCs[supreg]) as official data. Two types of certification are offered. The first type, "Certified NOAA ENC Distributor" (CED), covers NOAA ENC downloading, exact copying, and redistribution of those copies. The second type, "Certified NOAA ENC Value Added Distributor" (CEVAD), permits reformatting official NOAA ENCs into a System Electronic Navigational Chart (SENC) using type-approved software, and distribution of that SENC. NOAA intends by this action to assure that, though redistributed, quality official NOAA ENC data is offered to the public in support of safe navigation on U.S. waters.