1625-0118 Stat/Authority

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TITLE 14—COAST GUARD

may be cited as the ‘Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 2004 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 108–293, § 1, Aug. 9, 2004, 118 Stat. 1028, provided that: ‘‘This Act [see Tables for classification]
may be referred to as the ‘Coast Guard and Maritime
Transportation Act of 2004’.’’
SHORT TITLE OF 2002 AMENDMENT
Pub. L. 107–295, title III, § 301, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat.
2102, provided that: ‘‘This title [amending sections 259,
260, 271, 336, and 511 of this title, sections 1203, 1231a,
2073, 2302, and 2752 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable
Waters, and sections 2110, 2302, 4508, 7302, 8701, and 13110
of Title 46, Shipping, and enacting provisions set out as
notes under sections 88 and 92 of this title and section
1113 of Title 33] may be cited as the ‘Coast Guard Personnel and Maritime Safety Act of 2002’.’’
Pub. L. 107–295, title IV, § 401, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat.
2113, provided that: ‘‘This title [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Omnibus Maritime and
Coast Guard Improvements Act of 2002’.’’
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and
assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities
and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security,
and for treatment of related references, see sections
468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set
out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation and all functions, powers, and duties, relating to
Coast Guard, of Secretary of the Treasury and of other
offices and officers of Department of the Treasury
transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L.
89–670, § 6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 931. Section 6(b)(2)
of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of functions, Coast Guard shall
operate as part of Navy in time of war or when President directs as provided in section 3 of this title. See
section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.
DESIGNATION OF COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS
BUILDING
Pub. L. 113–31, Aug. 9, 2013, 127 Stat. 511, provided
that:
‘‘SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
‘‘The headquarters building of the Coast Guard on the
campus located at 2701 Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue
Southeast in the District of Columbia shall be known
and designated as the ‘Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard
Headquarters Building’.
‘‘SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
‘‘Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document,
paper, or other record of the United States to the building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to the ‘Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building’.’’

§ 102. Primary duties
The Coast Guard shall—
(1) enforce or assist in the enforcement of all
applicable Federal laws on, under, and over
the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
(2) engage in maritime air surveillance or
interdiction to enforce or assist in the enforcement of the laws of the United States;
(3) administer laws and promulgate and enforce regulations for the promotion of safety
of life and property on and under the high seas
and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the

§ 102

United States, covering all matters not specifically delegated by law to some other executive department;
(4) develop, establish, maintain, and operate,
with due regard to the requirements of national defense, aids to maritime navigation,
icebreaking facilities, and rescue facilities for
the promotion of safety on, under, and over
the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
(5) pursuant to international agreements,
develop, establish, maintain, and operate
icebreaking facilities on, under, and over waters other than the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
(6) engage in oceanographic research of the
high seas and in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and
(7) maintain a state of readiness to assist in
the defense of the United States, including
when functioning as a specialized service in
the Navy pursuant to section 103.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 496, § 2; Pub. L.
87–396, § 1, Oct. 5, 1961, 75 Stat. 827; Pub. L. 91–278,
§ 1(1), June 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 304; Pub. L. 93–519,
Dec. 13, 1974, 88 Stat. 1659; Pub. L. 99–640, § 6,
Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3547; Pub. L. 100–448, § 17,
Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1845; Pub. L. 100–690, title
VII, § 7403, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4484; Pub. L.
112–213, title II, § 217(1), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat.
1556; renumbered § 102 and amended Pub. L.
115–282, title I, § 103(b), title III, § 302, Dec. 4, 2018,
132 Stat. 4195, 4243.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
This section defines in general terms, for the first
time in any statute, all the primary duties of the Coast
Guard. It is derived from title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 45,
50k–50o, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 61, 62, 63, 98a, 104, 261, 301, title
33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 720, 720a, 740, 740a, 740b, title 46,
U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 1 (footnote), 2 (R.S. 1536, 2747, 2758,
2759, 4249; June 23, 1874, ch. 455, § 1, 18 Stat. 220; June 18,
1878, ch. 265, § 4, 20 Stat. 163; July 5, 1884, ch. 221, § 2, 23
Stat. 118; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, § 10, 32 Stat. 829; Apr. 19,
1906, ch. 1640, §§ 1–3, 34 Stat. 123; May 12, 1906, ch. 2454,
34 Stat. 190; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, §§ 6, 7, 36 Stat. 538;
Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, § 1, 37 Stat. 736; June 24, 1914, ch.
124, 38 Stat. 387; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, § 5, 38 Stat. 927; Aug.
29, 1916, ch. 417, 39 Stat. 1820; May 22, 1926, ch. 371, § 6,
44 Stat. 626; June 30, 1932, ch. 314, § 501, 47 Stat. 415; May
27, 1936, ch. 463, § 1, 49 Stat. 1380; Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 665,
§ 3, 50 Stat. 667; Feb. 19, 1941, ch. 8, §§ 2, 201, 55 Stat. 9,
11; July 11, 1941, ch. 290, § 7, 55 Stat. 585; Nov. 23, 1942,
ch. 639, § 2(2), 56 Stat. 102; Sept. 30, 1944, ch. 453, § 1, 58
Stat. 759; June 22, 1948, ch. 600, 62 Stat. 574; June 26,
1948, ch. 672, 62 Stat. 1050).
This section contains a codification of functions. It
sets forth in general language the primary responsibilities of the Coast Guard: enforcement of all Federal
laws on waters to which they have application, safety
of life and property at sea, aiding navigation, and readiness to function with the Navy. Having been created in
1915 by the consolidation of the Revenue Cutter Service
and the Life Saving Service, the Coast Guard has
gradually been given additional duties and responsibilities, such as the assignment of law enforcement powers on the high seas and navigable waters in 1936, the
transfer of the Lighthouse Service in 1939, and the
transfer of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation in 1942. Existing along with these other duties
has been that of maintaining a state of readiness as a
specialized service prepared for active participation
with the Navy in time of war. These various interdependent functions of the Service have not been expressed collectively in any statute heretofore, but it is

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TITLE 14—COAST GUARD

believed desirable to do so in this revision in order to
have outlined in general terms in one section the broad
scope of the functions of the Coast Guard. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
Editorial Notes
PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 102 was renumbered section 717 of this
title.
AMENDMENTS
2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 103(b), renumbered section 2 of
this title as this section.
Par. (7). Pub. L. 115–282, § 302, amended par. (7) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (7) read as follows:
‘‘maintain a state of readiness to function as a specialized service in the Navy in time of war, including the
fulfillment of Maritime Defense Zone command responsibilities.’’
2012—Pub. L. 112–213 amended section generally. Prior
to amendment, section related to primary duties of the
Coast Guard.
1988—Pub. L. 100–690 substituted ‘‘United States; shall
engage in maritime air surveillance or interdiction to
enforce or assist in the enforcement of the laws of the
United States; shall administer’’ for first reference to
‘‘United States;’’.
Pub. L. 100–448 substituted ‘‘Federal laws on, under,
and over’’ for ‘‘Federal laws on and under’’.
1986—Pub. L. 99–640 inserted ‘‘, including the fulfillment of Maritime Defense Zone command responsibilities.’’
1974—Pub. L. 93–519 inserted provision requiring Coast
Guard to develop, establish, maintain and operate, pursuant to international agreements, icebreaking facilities in waters other than those subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
1970—Pub. L. 91–278 improved and clarified text, substituting ‘‘on and under’’ for ‘‘upon’’ in clause preceding first semicolon; inserting ‘‘and under’’ after
‘‘life and property on’’ and striking out ‘‘on’’ after ‘‘the
high seas and’’ in clause preceding second semicolon;
and substituting ‘‘icebreaking’’ for ‘‘ice-breaking’’ and
inserting ‘‘, under,’’ after ‘‘promotion of safety on’’ in
clause preceding third semicolon, respectively.
1961—Pub. L. 87–396 required Coast Guard to engage in
oceanographic research on high seas and in waters subject to jurisdiction of the United States.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and
assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities
and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security,
and for treatment of related references, see sections
468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set
out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

§ 103. Department in which the Coast Guard operates
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Coast Guard shall be a
service in the Department of Homeland Security, except when operating as a service in the
Navy.
(b) TRANSFERS.—Upon the declaration of war if
Congress so directs in the declaration or when
the President directs, the Coast Guard shall operate as a service in the Navy, and shall so continue until the President, by Executive order,
transfers the Coast Guard back to the Department of Homeland Security. While operating as

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a service in the Navy, the Coast Guard shall be
subject to the orders of the Secretary of the
Navy, who may order changes in Coast Guard
operations to render them uniform, to the extent such Secretary deems advisable, with Navy
operations.
(c) OPERATION AS A SERVICE IN THE NAVY.—
Whenever the Coast Guard operates as a service
in the Navy—
(1) applicable appropriations of the Navy Department shall be available for the expense of
the Coast Guard;
(2) applicable appropriations of the Coast
Guard shall be available for transfer to the
Navy Department;
(3) precedence between commissioned officers of corresponding grades in the Coast
Guard and the Navy shall be determined by
the date of rank stated by their commissions
in those grades;
(4) personnel of the Coast Guard shall be eligible to receive gratuities, medals, and other
insignia of honor on the same basis as personnel in the naval service or serving in any
capacity with the Navy; and
(5) the Secretary may place on furlough any
officer of the Coast Guard and officers on furlough shall receive one half of the pay to
which they would be entitled if on leave of absence, but officers of the Coast Guard Reserve
shall not be so placed on furlough.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 496, § 3; Pub. L.
94–546, § 1(2), Oct. 18, 1976, 90 Stat. 2519; Pub. L.
107–296, title XVII, § 1704(a), Nov. 25, 2002, 116
Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 109–241, title II, § 211, July 11,
2006, 120 Stat. 523; Pub. L. 112–213, title II,
§ 217(1), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1556; renumbered
§ 103, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 103(b), Dec. 4, 2018,
132 Stat. 4195.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 1 (Jan. 28, 1915, ch.
20, § 1, 38 Stat. 800; July 11, 1941, ch. 290, §§ 5, 6(a), 55
Stat. 585).
Said section has been divided. The provisions relating
to when the Coast Guard operates as a service in the
Navy are in this section. The provisions relating to the
establishment of the Coast Guard are placed in section
1 of this title. The provisions relating to appropriations
are placed in section 4 of this title.
Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress,
House Report No. 557.
Editorial Notes
PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 103 was renumbered section 563 of this
title.
AMENDMENTS
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 3 of this
title as this section.
2012—Pub. L. 112–213 amended section generally. Prior
to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘Upon the declaration of war if Congress so directs in the declaration or
when the President directs, the Coast Guard shall operate as a service in the Navy, and shall so continue until
the President, by Executive order, transfers the Coast
Guard back to the Department of Homeland Security.
While operating as a service in the Navy, the Coast
Guard shall be subject to the orders of the Secretary of
the Navy who may order changes in Coast Guard operations to render them uniform, to the extent he deems
advisable, with Navy operations.’’