Maritime Prevention Program

The Coast Guard Maritime Prevention Program prevents personnel casualties and property losses, minimizes security risks, and protects the marine environment. The Coast Guard develops and enforces federal marine safety, security, and environmental regulations. It reviews and approves vessel and maritime facility security plans, conducts security and safety inspections, and enforces Transportation Worker Identification Credential regulations. The program conducts domestic and international port security assessments, analyzes maritime security risk nationwide to identify high risk targets and support risk reduction measures and also supports administration of port security grant funding. The program periodically reviews the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures in foreign ports by conducting assessments of those ports to determine compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, and requires vessels arriving in the United States from ports with inadequate antiterrorism measures to take additional security precautions. The Coast Guard develops and applies design, construction and equipment standards for vessels; conducts compulsory, as well as voluntary vessel exams and inspections; certifies and licenses U.S. mariners; and promotes best practices by investigating marine casualties and sharing its findings. It provides grants to States to improve recreational boating safety, and supports a variety of government and nongovernment boating safety efforts in partnership with other federal agencies, state and local governments, marine industries and associations. The Coast Guard also maintains strong leadership roles in many international maritime organizations.

Mariner Licensing and Documentation
In accordance with international and domestic statures, all mariners that serve on a commercial vessel are required to demonstrate proficiency in their assigned duties and hold a credential. The U.S. Coast Guard administers the credentialing program for the United States. Currently there are over 216,000 credentialed mariners and in any given year the Coast Guard issues over 65,000 new credentials.
Vessel Documentation
Vessel documentation is a national form of registration that is administered by the Coast Guard. As set out in statute, Documentation provides conclusive evidence of nationality for international purposes, provides for unhindered commerce between the states, and admits vessels to certain restricted trades, such as coastwise trade and the fisheries. Since 1920, vessel financing has been enhanced through the availability of preferred mortgages on documented vessels. Vessels of five net tons or more used in fishing activities on navigable waters of the U.S. or in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), or used in coastwise trade must be documented unless the vessel is exempt from documentation. Coastwise trade is generally defined as the transportation of merchandise or passengers between points in the U.S. or the EEZ. In addition, towboats operating between points in the U.S. or the EEZ or between the EEZ and points in the U.S. and dredges operating in the U.S. or the EEZ must be documented.
Commercial Vessel Compliance
As a flag state, the Coast Guard is responsible for ensuring that U.S. vessels, engaged in foreign and domestic commercial service, including fishing vessels, are in compliance with U.S. laws and regulations. This includes developing policy, and providing guidance for commercial vessel safety, security and environmental protection compliance, and mariner credentialing with over 41,000 onsite inspections to ensure compliance. The Coast Guard also conducts a robust Port State Control program in accordance with international treaty obligations to ensure that foreign vessels visiting U.S. waters are in compliance with international standards. Additionally, the Coast Guard is the U.S. representative to the International maritime Organization, the Untied Nation’s body responsible for regulating international shipping.
Boating Safety and Coast Guard Auxiliary
The Coast Guard administers the Coast Guard Auxiliary, an approximate 30,000 volunteer force that assists in most all programs but is especially focused on Recreational Boating Safety. At all time unarmed, the Auxiliary augments the work of the regular Coast Guard by performing such duties as air and water patrols, recreational boating instruction, vessel safety checks, and any other duty assigned other than direct law enforcement or defense operations.

The Coast Guard serves as the National Coordinator of the National Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program and the Designated Federal Officer of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council. It develops and implements the Strategic Plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program, liaising with appropriate international, Federal, State, and Tribal government agencies, as well as national nonprofit organizations, the recreational boating industry and the public, to support national RBS goals. The Coast Guard administers the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund boating safety grant programs, including managing the approval of State boating law enforcement, public education, undocumented vessel numbering/titling, and marine casualty reporting. It also administers standards development and compliance efforts regarding the manufacturing of recreational boats and associated equipment and the implementation of the Vessel Identification System. Finally, the Coast Guard directly performs over 50,000 recreational boardings and 2.800 recreational vessel boat inspections each year.
Port and Facility Compliance
The Coast Guard is responsible for port, facility and cargo safety, security and environmental protection compliance, and port security and assessment activities in support of PWCS and safety activities. It oversees all security compliance activities and authorities vested in the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), the Captain of the Port (COTP), and the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC) authorities and activities related to marine transfer facilities, pollution prevention, port safety, and port security. The Coast Guard develops policy for port and facility security and response plans and serves as the coordinating director and executive secretariat for the Sector Specific Agency (SSA), Maritime Transportation Mode - Transportation Systems Sector, and Maritime Modal Government Coordinating Council (MMGCC). The Coast Guard also oversees policy formulation and field guidance for development and implementation of cyber risk management (in coordination with CG CYBERCOM) and critical infrastructure security and resilience activities relating to port and facility activities.
International and Domestic Port Security
The Coast Guard oversees security compliance activities and authorities vested in the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (OCMI), the Captain of the Port (COTP), and the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC) authorities related to vessels arriving to U.S. ports from foreign locations that are not maintaining effective anti-terrorism measures. It administers and manages the international port security sub-program, including development of related policy and doctrine for Coast Guard execution, as well as the Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM), guidance for Coast Guard field activities, oversight of third parties, and participation in industry partnerships and advisory committees. The Coast Guard assesses the effectiveness of anti-terrorism measures in foreign countries and imposes appropriate risk mitigation actions as needed. It also supports national security initiatives such as comprehensive reviews of critical infrastructure, the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and Secure Freight (SFI) assessments, the Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) Program, Export Control and Border Security (EXBS), and critical energy infrastructure assessments. The Coast Guard fosters international port security capacity building activities to increase overall implementation of key international standards and to improve maritime governance actions in developing countries.
Investigations and Casualty Analysis
The Coast Guard has the authorities to conduct all activities related to marine casualties, pollution investigations, and civil penalties, suspensions, and revocations. It provides statistical services and products which reflect safety trends and patterns in pertinent aspects of marine transportation operations. The Coast Guard supports the development and dissemination of safety recommendations from casualty and pollution investigations to reduce future casualties. It also administers chemical testing regulations for the marine transportation sector, including the maintenance of the Management Information System (MIS) for the collection of chemical and alcohol testing data.