The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has decided that the LRIT system is only mandatory for the following ships in international waters:
- Passenger ships, including high-speed passenger crafts
- Cargo ships, including high-speed crafts, of 300 gross tonnage and upwards
- Mobile offshore drilling units
The following are exempt from using LRIT:
- Military vessels
- Fishing vessels
- Vessels operated exclusively within the Sea Area A1 (small volume of coastal shipping)
LRIT is internationally enshrined in Chapter V of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, and was unanimously adopted on 19 May 2006 in Resolution MSC.202 (81).
LRIT in Norway
- The Norwegian Coastal Administration is the National Competent Authority (NCA) for LRIT in Norway, and operates the Norwegian part of the international LRIT database on behalf of the Norwegian authorities.
- The Norwegian Coastal Administration registers, corrects and updates data on LRIT-liable vessels sailing with the Norwegian flag in the European LRIT database.
- The Norwegian Coastal Administration provides systemic access to public authorities that wish to use data from the system for carrying out government tasks.
- LRIT was introduced in Norway in 2009, and is a closed system used only by national public authorities.
- Public authorities use the LRIT monitoring system in traffic monitoring, to locate vessels in need of assistance and surrounding vessels in connection with rescue operations, control and intervention against vessels that pose a danger to maritime safety or a threat to the coastal state, and monitoring of vessels involved in illegal, unreported or unregistered fisheries or other illegal activities.
- The Norwegian Maritime Authority has the authority to enforce compliance with the LRIT regulations on board.