To verify whether a CDC is genuine, follow standard maritime compliance CDC verification procedures across issuing flag authorities and regional regulatory portals:
In short
- A CDC is genuine only if the issuing administration’s records say so. Stamps, photos and paper quality prove very little on their own.
- Most maritime administrations offer an online check or a verification desk. You need the document number and the holder’s details exactly as printed.
- International rules expect administrations to keep records that employers and authorities can check (STCW Regulation I/2; ILO Convention No. 185 for seafarer identity documents).
- If the record doesn’t match, stop using the document and contact the administration directly, not the agent who supplied it.
Ship managers, crewing agencies and port officials rarely take a CDC at face value. They check it against the issuing administration’s records, and seafarers are increasingly expected to do the same before they pay an agent or join a vessel. This guide covers CDC verification online: what a check actually confirms, how to run one, where common administrations publish their records, the warning signs of a fake, and what to do if your document doesn’t come back clean.
What CDC verification actually confirms
A CDC (Continuous Discharge Certificate) is the official record of a seafarer’s identity and service at sea. Depending on the country, the same document may be called a seaman’s book, a seafarer’s record book or a SIRB. If you’re new to the document itself, start with our guide to what a CDC certificate is.
CDC verification is the process of confirming, with the issuing maritime administration, that a Continuous Discharge Certificate or seaman book was legitimately issued, belongs to the person named on it, and is currently valid. It is done through the administration’s own database or verification desk, not by examining the physical book.
A successful check typically tells you three things:
- Issuance: the administration named on the cover actually issued a document with that number.
- Identity: the number matches the holder’s name and date of birth (and, on some systems, photo).
- Status: the document is valid, expired, cancelled or reported lost.
What it usually does not tell you is whether every sea-service entry inside the book is accurate. Those entries are made on board and signed by the master; checking them means cross-referencing employment records, not just the CDC database.
Why administrations keep verifiable records
Verification isn’t a courtesy some administrations happen to offer. It is built into the international framework.
Under STCW Regulation I/2, each party to the STCW Convention must maintain a register of the certificates and endorsements it issues and provide information on their status to other parties and to companies that ask to verify them. Strictly, that rule covers STCW certificates of competency and proficiency rather than the CDC itself, but in practice many administrations run the same records system for both.
For identity documents, the ILO Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185) requires ratifying states to keep a national electronic database of the documents they issue and to designate a permanent focal point that answers verification enquiries from authorities. Not every country has ratified C185, which is one reason verification routes differ so much from one administration to the next.
The practical takeaway: a legitimate issuer can always tell you how to check its documents. If nobody can tell you how, that is itself a finding.
How to verify a CDC online, step by step CDC verification process
- Identify the issuing administration. Look at the cover and the issuing page. A national CDC is issued by your own country’s maritime authority; a flag-state seaman book is issued by the flag administration (for example Panama, Liberia or Belize). Learn more about flag-state seaman books.
- Go to the administration’s official website yourself. Type the address or find it through a search, and check the domain. Don’t use a “verification link” sent by an agent; fake portals that mimic government sites are a known tactic.
- Enter the details exactly as printed. Document number, surname and given names in the same order, and date of birth in the format the form asks for. Most failed checks are typing errors.
- Compare the result field by field. Name, date of birth, document number, issue and expiry dates, status, and photo where the system shows one. A partial match is not a pass.
- Save a dated record. Download or screenshot the result with the date visible. Employers and agencies sometimes ask for it.
- No online tool? Ask in writing. Email the administration’s published verification contact with a clear scan of the data page, or ask your employer or licensed manning agency to submit the request on your behalf.
Where to verify: common administrations
The table below shows where seafarers most often need to check documents. Routes change, so always confirm on the administration’s own site.
| Administration | Document | Verification route |
|---|---|---|
| India — Directorate General of Shipping | CDC | Online through the DG Shipping e-governance portal |
| Philippines — MARINA | SIRB | Online check or written request to MARINA |
| Panama — Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) | Seaman’s book / seafarer certificates | AMP online verification |
| Liberia — Liberian Registry (LISCR) | Seafarer identification and record book | Online document verification |
| Palau Ship Registry | Seafarer’s identification and record book | Online document verification |
| Belize — IMMARBE | Seaman’s book | Verification request to IMMARBE |
One point that trips people up: an Indian CDC can only be issued by DG Shipping. No agent or consultancy can issue one, and any offer to “arrange” an Indian CDC outside the official process should be treated as a red flag.
Warning signs of a fake or invalid CDC
The database check is the test that counts. These signs tell you to run it before you go any further:
- No record, or a mismatch. The number returns nothing, or returns a different name or date of birth.
- Missing paperwork. The document arrived without the identity proof, medical certificate or STCW certificates the administration normally requires.
- Withheld details. The agent won’t share the document number or the issuing authority until you’ve paid in full.
- Unofficial “verification” pages. You’re sent a link on a domain that doesn’t belong to the administration.
- Sea service you didn’t do. Entries for vessels or voyages you never joined. Bought sea time is fraud, whoever writes it in.
- Physical inconsistencies. Photo laminated over an older one, mismatched stamps, uneven fonts. These are secondary signs; genuine books can look worn and fakes can look perfect.
What happens if a CDC turns out to be fake
The consequences fall mostly on the seafarer, not the agent who sold the document. They can include being refused sign-on or offloaded at a port, having the document confiscated, being flagged by employers and manning agencies, and in some jurisdictions criminal proceedings. IMO also collects reports of fraudulent certificates from member states through its GISIS platform.
Because the risk lands on you, a check you run before you pay or sail is worth far more than one an employer runs after you’ve arrived.
What to do if your CDC doesn’t verify
- Rule out input errors first. Re-enter the number and name exactly as printed, and try alternative name orders if the form allows.
- Don’t sail on it until the record is confirmed.
- Contact the administration directly with a scan of the data page and ask for written confirmation of the document’s status.
- Gather your evidence if an agent supplied it: receipts, the application reference, and all messages. Report it to the administration.
- Replace it through a legitimate route. If the document is invalid or has expired, apply again with the issuing administration. See our seaman book renewal guide.
Checking a flag-state seaman book obtained through a consultancy
Consultancies don’t issue seaman books. They prepare and submit applications to the flag administration, and the administration issues the book. That means any flag-state seaman book obtained through a consultancy, including Seaman Books, should be verifiable with the issuing administration in exactly the same way as one you applied for yourself.
Before you engage any provider, ask two questions: which administration will issue the document, and how can you verify it once it’s issued? A provider that can’t answer both clearly isn’t one to trust with your career. For the bigger picture on how seaman books work, read our Seaman Book 101 guide.
Frequently asked questions on CDC verification
How can I check if my CDC is genuine online?
Go to the official website of the administration that issued it, open its seafarer document verification page, and enter the document number and your details exactly as printed. A genuine CDC returns a record that matches your name, date of birth, number and validity. If there’s no online tool, email the administration’s verification contact.
How do I verify an Indian CDC?
Indian CDCs are issued only by the Directorate General of Shipping, so verification goes through DG Shipping’s own e-governance system, using the CDC number and the seafarer’s details. Employers and manning agencies use the same records. No private agent can issue or validate an Indian CDC on DG Shipping’s behalf.
Can an employer or crewing agency verify my CDC?
Yes. Under STCW, administrations are expected to answer verification requests from companies as well as other governments, and most shipping companies check documents before sign-on. That’s why a document that fails verification usually surfaces at the worst possible moment: during crewing checks or at the port.
Is a seaman book the same as a CDC for verification?
For verification purposes, they work the same way. Whether it’s called a CDC, seaman’s book or SIRB, the document is checked against the records of the administration that issued it. The only difference is which administration you contact: your national maritime authority or the flag state.
What should I do if my CDC shows no record?
First re-check the number and name order for typing errors. If it still shows no record, don’t use the document. Contact the issuing administration directly with a scan of the data page and ask for written confirmation of its status. If an agent supplied it, keep your receipts and messages.
Does CDC verification confirm my sea service?
Not on its own. A verification check confirms the document was issued, belongs to you and is valid. Sea-service entries are recorded on board and signed by the master, so confirming them means cross-checking employment records or discharge entries with the shipping company, not the CDC database alone.
The bottom line
CDC verification online comes down to one rule: trust the issuing administration’s records, not the document in your hand or the agent who supplied it. Identify the issuer, check through its official channel, compare every field, and keep a dated copy. If you need a flag-state seaman book through a route you can verify from day one, see our services for seafarers or apply for a seaman book online.
