The U.S. Coast Guard is the primary maritime law enforcement agency of the U.S.
Authority: Section
89 of Title 14 of the United States Code authorizes the Coast
Guard to board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S., anytime upon the high seas
and upon waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, to make inquiries,
examinations, inspections, searches, seizures and arrests.
What to expect: A uniformed CG boarding team will notify you that they
are coming aboard to conduct a CG boarding. Like other law enforcement officers, they will
be armed. Once on board they will conduct an initial safety inspection to identify any
obvious safety hazards, and to ensure the sea worthiness of your vessel. The boarding
officer will then ask to see the vessel registration or documentation, and proceed to
inspect your vessel. The scope of the vessel inspection, during most boardings, is limited
to determining the vessel's regulatory status (e.g. commercial, recreational, passenger,
cargo, and/or fishing vessel) and checking for compliance with U.S. civil law applicable
to vessels of that status. The CG may also enforce U.S. criminal law. The boarding officer
will complete a Coast Guard boarding form, and note any discrepancies. You will get a
signed copy before they depart.
Report of Boarding: When a CG boarding officer issues you a boarding
report, they will either issue a yellow copy, if no discrepancies were noted, or a white
copy if there were. A white copy will indicate a warning or a notice of violation. The CG
boarding officer should explain the procedures to follow in each case. In any event, those
procedures are written on the reverse of the form. If you have any questions ask the CG
boarding officer, or call the Coast Guard Customer Information Line at 800-368-5647.
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