Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 23, 2024

Title 33 - Navigation and Navigable Waters last revised: Nov 21, 2024
§ 2.1 - Purpose.

(a) The purpose of this part is to define terms the Coast Guard uses in regulations, policies, and procedures, to determine whether it has jurisdiction on certain waters in cases where specific jurisdictional definitions are not otherwise provided.

(b) Figure 2.1 is a visual aid to assist you in understanding this part.

§ 2.5 - Specific definitions control.

In cases where a particular statute, regulation, policy or procedure provides a specific jurisdictional definition that differs from the definitions contained in this part, the former definition controls.

Note to § 2.5:

For example, the definition of “inland waters” in the Inland Navigational Rules Act of 1980 (33 U.S.C. 2003(o)) would control the interpretation of inland navigation rules created under that Act and the “inland waters” definition in 46 CFR 10.107 would control regulations in 46 CFR part 10. Also, in various laws administered and enforced by the Coast Guard, the terms “State” and “United States” are defined to include some or all of the territories and possessions of the United States. The definitions in §§ 2.36 and 2.38 should be considered as supplementary to these statutory definitions and not as interpretive of them.

[USCG-2001-9044, 68 FR 42598, July 18, 2003, as amended by USCG-2020-0304, 85 FR 58275, Sept. 18, 2020]
authority: 14 U.S.C. 503; 33 U.S.C. 70031; Public Law 89-670, 80 Stat. 931, 49 U.S.C. 108; Public Law 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, 2249, 6 U.S.C. 101 note and 468; Department of Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1
source: USCG-2001-9044, 68 FR 42598, July 18, 2003, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 33 CFR 2.1