14 U.S.C. § 541 (COAST GUARD)
§ 541. Aids to navigation authorized
(a) In order to aid navigation and to prevent disasters, collisions, and wrecks of vessels and aircraft, the Coast Guard may establish, maintain, and operate:
(1) aids to maritime navigation required to serve the needs of the armed forces or of the commerce of the United States;
(2) aids to air navigation required to serve the needs of the armed forces of the United States peculiar to warfare and primarily of military concern as determined by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of any department within the Department of Defense and as required by any of those officials; and
(3) electronic aids to navigation systems (a) required to serve the needs of the armed forces of the United States peculiar to warfare and primarily of military concern as determined by the Secretary of Defense or any department within the Department of Defense; or (b) required to serve the needs of the maritime commerce of the United States; or (c) required to serve the needs of the air commerce of the United States as requested by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
These aids to navigation other than electronic aids to navigation systems shall be established and operated only within the United States, the waters above the Continental Shelf, the territories and possessions of the United States, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the United States at places where naval or military bases of the United States are or may be located. The Coast Guard may establish, maintain, and operate aids to maritime navigation under paragraph (1) of this section by contract with any person, public body, or instrumentality.
(b) In the case of pierhead beacons, the Commandant may—
(1) acquire, by donation or purchase in behalf of the United States, the right to use and occupy sites for pierhead beacons; and
(2) properly mark all pierheads belonging to the United States situated on the northern and northwestern lakes, whenever the Commandant is duly notified by the department charged with the construction or repair of pierheads that the construction or repair of any such pierheads has been completed.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 81; June 22, 1951, ch. 150, 65 Stat. 89; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1263, § 30, 68 Stat. 1237; Pub. L. 85–726, title XIV, § 1404, Aug. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 808; Pub. L. 89–662, § 1, Oct. 14, 1966, 80 Stat. 912; Pub. L. 94–546, § 1(3), Oct. 18, 1976, 90 Stat. 2519; Pub. L. 97–322, title I, § 105(a), Oct. 15, 1982, 96 Stat. 1582; renumbered § 541, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200; Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8509(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4755.)
heading: Historical and Revision Notes
text: Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed.; §§ 50m, 50o, and on title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 720, 720a, 739, 740, 740a, 740b, 769 (R.S. 4668; June 23, 1874, ch. 455, § 1, 18 Stat. 220; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, § 7, 36 Stat. 538; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, § 5, 38 Stat. 927; Aug. 28, 1916, ch. 414, § 3, 39 Stat. 538; May 22, 1926, ch. 371, § 6, 44 Stat. 626; Feb. 25, 1925, ch. 313, § 3, 45 Stat. 1262; Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 665, § 3, 50 Stat. 667; June 26, 1948, ch. 672, §§ 1, 3, 62 Stat. 1050).
Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 541 was renumbered section 2903 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2021—Pub. L. 116–283 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 81 of this title as this section.
1982—Pub. L. 97–322 authorized the Coast Guard to contractually establish, maintain, and operate aids to maritime navigation.
1976—Pub. L. 94–546 substituted “Federal Aviation Administration” for “Federal Aviation Agency” in cl. (3)(c).
1966—Pub. L. 89–662 expanded authorization for establishment, maintenance, and operation of aids to air navigation and electronic aids to navigation systems required to serve the needs of the armed forces to include needs peculiar to warfare and primarily of military concern as determined by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of any department within the Department of Defense, substituted “electronic aids to navigation systems” for “Loran stations”, and altered the list of locations where aids to navigation other than electronic aids to navigation could be located by adding the waters above the Continental Shelf and by striking out places where such aids to navigation had been established prior to June 26, 1948.
1958—Pub. L. 85–726 substituted “Administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency” for “Administrator of Civil Aeronautics”.
1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, substituted “Department of Defense” for “National Military Establishment”.
1951—Act June 22, 1951, extended Coast Guard’s authority to include the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1958 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 85–726, title XV, § 1505(2), Aug. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 810, provided that the amendment made by Pub. L. 85–726 is effective on 60th day following date on which Administrator of Federal Aviation Agency [Federal Aviation Administration] first appointed under Pub. L. 85–726 qualifies and takes office. Administrator appointed, qualified, and took office on Oct. 31, 1958.
heading: Discontinuance of an Aid to Navigation
text: Pub. L. 114–120, title II, § 210, Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 41, which directed the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to establish a process for the discontinuance of an aid to navigation and to notify the public and congressional committees, was repealed by Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7264(d), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1742. See section 552 of this title.
heading: Improved Safety Information for Vessels
text: Pub. L. 113–281, title II, § 228, Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3040, provided that: “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2014], the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall establish a process that allows an operator of a marine exchange or other non-Federal vessel traffic information service to use the automatic identification system to transmit weather, ice, and other important navigation safety information to vessels.”
heading: Aids to Navigation Report
text: Pub. L. 105–383, title II, § 208, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3416, provided that not later than 18 months after Nov. 13, 1998, the Commandant of the Coast Guard was to submit to Congress a report on the use of the Coast Guard’s aids to navigation system, including an analysis of the respective use of the aids to navigation system by commercial interests, members of the general public for personal recreation, Federal and State government for public safety, defense, and other similar purposes.
heading: Report to Congress; Contractual Authority; Increase in Ratio of Civilian to Military Employees
text: Pub. L. 97–322, title I, § 105(b), Oct. 15, 1982, 96 Stat. 1582, provided that:
“Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this title [Oct. 15, 1982], the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit a report to the Congress evaluating—
“(1) the exercise by contract of the authority of the Coast Guard under section 81 [now 541] of title 14, United States Code, to establish, maintain, and operate aids to navigation, including a discussion of any problems involved in exercising such authority by contract, the reasons for exercising or failing to exercise such authority by contract in particular areas, and the feasibility of expanding the exercise of such authority by contract; and
“(2) the advantages and disadvantages of increasing the ratio of civilian to military employees assigned to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of aids to navigation on the inland waterways of the United States.”
heading: Contractual Authority Dependent Upon Availability of Appropriated Funds
text: Pub. L. 97–322, title I, § 105(c), Oct. 15, 1982, 96 Stat. 1582, provided that: “Any authority to enter into contracts provided in this section [amending this section and enacting provision set out as Report to Congress; Contractual Authority; Increase in Ratio of Civilian to Military Employees note under this section] shall be available only to the extent that appropriated funds are available for that purpose.”
heading: Executive Documents
heading: Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
text: For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.
heading: Ex. Ord. No. 7521. Use of Vessels for Ice-Breaking Operations in Channels and Harbors
text: Ex. Ord. No. 7521, Dec. 21, 1936, 1 F.R. 2527, provided:
1. The Coast Guard, operating under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, is hereby directed to assist in keeping open to navigation by means of ice-breaking operations, in so far as practicable and as the exigencies may require, channels and harbors in accordance with the reasonable demands of commerce; and to use for that purpose such vessels subject to its control and jurisdiction or which may be made available to it under paragraph 2 hereof as are necessary and are reasonably suitable for such operations.
2. The Secretary of War [Army], the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of Commerce are hereby directed to cooperate with the Coast Guard in such ice-breaking operations, and to furnish the Coast Guard, upon the request of the Commandant thereof, for this service such vessels under their jurisdiction and control as in the opinion of the Commandant, with the concurrence of the head of the Department concerned, are available and are, or may readily be made, suitable for this service.