International Association of Classification Societies

The International Association of Classification Societies (abbreviated IACS ) is the premier international association of classification societies. Seat of the umbrella organization is London.

The IACS goes back to the findings in the International Load Regulation 1930 recommendations, in which closer cooperation between the classification society for the purpose of unifying the respective assessment criteria was sought for freeboard Regulation.

In the implementation of this resolution, RINA served in 1939 as the first host to a conference of the companies American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd 's Register of Shipping Nippon Kaiji Kyokai and. Another conference in 1955 concluded first with the establishment of working groups, which finally in 1968 led to the establishment of IACS with seven members. Already in the following year became the merger consultative status of the International Maritime Organization. As such, the IACS is there to this day the only non-governmental consultative organization that may develop and apply applicable rules.