46 C.F.R. § 221.67 – Stipulation procedure.

(a) When the Vessel Transfer Office decides to proceed under this section, that Office shall notify the Party in writing by registered or certified mail—
1. (1) Of the alleged violation and the applicable statute and regulations;
2. (2) Of the maximum penalty that may be assessed for each violation;
3. (3) Of a summary of the evidence supporting the violation;
4. (4) Of the penalty that the Vessel Transfer Officer will accept in settlement of the violation;
5. (5) Of the right to examine all the material in the case file and have a copy of all written documents provided upon request;
6. (6) That by accepting the penalty, the Party waives the right to have the matter considered by a Hearing Officer in accordance with §§ 221.73 to 221.89 of this subpart, and that if the Party elects to have the matter considered by a Hearing Officer, the Hearing Officer may assess a penalty less than, equal to, or greater than that stipulated in settlement if the Hearing Officer finds that a violation occurred; and
7. (7) That a violation will be kept on record and may be used by the Maritime Administration in aggravation of an assessment of a penalty for a subsequent violation by that Party.
(b) Upon receipt of the notification specified in paragraph (a) of this section, a Party may within 30 days—
1. (1) Agree to the stipulated penalty in the manner specified in the notification; or
2. (2) Notify in writing the Vessel Transfer Officer that the Party elects to have the matter considered by a Hearing Officer in accordance with the procedure specified in §§ 221.73 through 221.89 of this subpart.
(c) If, within 30 days of receipt of the notification specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the Party neither agrees to the penalty nor elects the informal hearing procedure, the Party will be deemed to have waived its right to the informal hearing procedure and the penalty will be considered accepted. If a monetary penalty is assessed, it is due and payable to the United States, and the Maritime Administration may initiate appropriate action to collect the penalty.