Navigation Rules and Regulations Handbook

The U.S. Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It protects the personal safety and security of the American people; the marine transportation system and infrastructure; the country's natural and economic resources; and the territorial integrity of the nation—from both internal and external threats, natural and man-made. It protects these interests in U.S. ports, inland waterways, along the coasts, and on international waters.