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HomeHarbors and Navigation CodeDiv. 5Ch. 1Art. 5§ 1125 Bay Pilotage Authority

§ 1125 Bay Pilotage Authority

Harbors and Navigation Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1125 Bay Pilotage Authority

This law says that only pilots who are licensed by the state board can steer ships in and out of Monterey Bay, San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay, and the ports there, unless another rule says otherwise.

Key Takeaways

  • •Board‑licensed pilots have the only right to pilot vessels in the listed bays and between those bays and the high seas.
  • •Their exclusive authority applies unless a federal law or another specific rule says otherwise.
  • •The rule does not change existing pilot rules for Monterey Bay, Sacramento, or Stockton, and those ports can still use the same licensed pilots.

Example

A big cargo ship coming from overseas wants to enter San Francisco Bay to unload its goods.

The ship must hire a pilot who has a board license, because only those pilots are allowed to guide the ship through the bay and back out to the open ocean under this law.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1125 Bay Pilotage Authority

(a) Pilots licensed by the board have exclusive authority, to the extent not provided otherwise by federal law, to pilot vessels from the high seas to Monterey Bay and the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun and the ports thereof, and from those bays and ports to the high seas. They shall also have exclusive authority to pilot vessels within and along the waters of those bays, except as otherwise set forth in this division. (b) Nothing in this division shall interfere with pilotage regulations of Monterey Bay and of the Ports of Sacramento and Stockton, nor prevent the regulatory authority of those ports from utilizing the pilots licensed pursuant to this division. (Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 177, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 2002.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

exclusive authoritypilot vesselsMonterey BayBays of San FranciscoSan PabloSuisunpilotage regulationsPorts of Sacramento and Stockton

Related Statutes

  • § 1100 Monterey Bay Pilotage Regulation
  • § 1105 Monterey Bay Pilot Rules
  • § 1114.5 San Francisco Bay Pilotage Grounds
  • § 1111 Pilot Commissioners Board Definition
  • § 1128 Towed Vessel Pilotage Exemption

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Harbors and Navigation Code. Section 1125.
View Official Source