14 U.S.C. § 301 (COAST GUARD)
§ 301. Grades and ratings
(a) In General.—
In the Coast Guard, there shall be—
(1) admirals (two);
(2) vice admirals;
(3) rear admirals;
(4) rear admirals (lower half);
(5) captains;
(6) commanders;
(7) lieutenant commanders;
(8) lieutenants;
(9) lieutenants (junior grade);
(10) ensigns;
(11) chief warrant officers;
(12) cadets;
(13) warrant officers; and
(14) enlisted members.
(b) Enlisted Members.—
Enlisted members shall be distributed in ratings established by the Secretary.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 497, § 41; Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, §§ 6, 53, 70A Stat. 620, 679; Pub. L. 86–474, § 1(1), May 14, 1960, 74 Stat. 144; Pub. L. 92–451, § 1(1), Oct. 2, 1972, 86 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 97–417, § 2(1), Jan. 4, 1983, 96 Stat. 2085; Pub. L. 98–557, § 15(a)(3)(B), (C), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2865; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, § 514(a)(2), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 628; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title V, § 541(f)(4), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2766; Pub. L. 114–120, title II, § 201(a), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 33; renumbered § 301, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 104(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4196; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7201(b), (e)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1675, 1678.)
heading: Historical and Revision Notes
heading: 1949 Act
text: Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 5, 9, 21 (Apr. 12, 1902, ch. 501, § 1, 32 Stat. 100; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, § 2, 38 Stat. 801; May 18, 1920, ch. 190, § 8, 41 Stat. 603; June 5, 1920, ch. 235, § 1, 41 Stat. 879; Jan. 12, 1923, ch. 25, §§ 1, 2, 42 Stat. 1130; July 3, 1926, ch. 742, §§ 3, 9, 10, 44 Stat. 815, 817).
The grades of vice admiral and rear admiral are added to make provision for the commissioned officer personnel structure of the service as provided for in this revision. The entire rating structure for enlisted men is left to the administrative discretion of the Secretary, as in the past, for reasons of flexibility.
The last two paragraphs of said section 5 are obsolete and have been omitted.
Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
1956 Act
Revised section
Source (U.S. Code)
Source (Statutes at Large)
41
14:41.
34:135a(a) (less last sentence, as applicable to temporary appointments).
Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, § 1(41), 63 Stat. 497.
May 29, 1954, ch. 249, § 3(a) (less 3d and last sentences, as applicable to temporary appointments), 68 Stat. 157.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 301, act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 518, related to permanent appointment of warrant officers, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 88–130, § 1(10)(A), Sept. 24, 1963, 77 Stat. 177. See section 571 et seq. of Title 10, Armed Forces.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Pub. L. 119–60, § 7201(e)(1), amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “In the Coast Guard there shall be admirals (two); vice admirals; rear admirals; rear admirals (lower half); captains; commanders; lieutenant commanders; lieutenants; lieutenants (junior grade); ensigns; chief warrant officers; cadets; warrant officers; and enlisted members. Enlisted members shall be distributed in ratings established by the Secretary.”
Pub. L. 119–60, § 7201(b), renumbered section 301 of this title as this section, resulting in no change.
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 41 of this title as this section.
2016—Pub. L. 114–120 substituted “admirals (two);” for “an admiral,”.
1994—Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “chief warrant officers; cadets; warrant officers;” for “chief warrant officers, W–4; chief warrant officers, W–3; chief warrant officers, W–2; cadets; warrant officers, W–1;”.
1985—Pub. L. 99–145 substituted “rear admirals (lower half)” for “commodores”.
1984—Pub. L. 98–557 substituted “members” for “men” in two places.
1983—Pub. L. 97–417 inserted “commodores;” after “rear admirals;”.
1972—Pub. L. 92–451 substituted “vice admirals” for “a vice admiral”.
1960—Pub. L. 86–474 inserted the grade of admiral.
1956—Act Aug. 10, 1956, repealed and reenacted section by general amendment thereby substituting “chief warrant officers, W–4; chief warrant officers, W–3; chief warrant officers, W–2” for “commissioned warrant officers”, and “warrant officers, W–1” for “warrant officers”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 103–337 effective on the first day of the fourth month beginning after Oct. 5, 1994, see section 541(h) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 571 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
heading: Effective Date of 1972 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 92–451 effective Oct. 2, 1972, except that continuation boards may not be held until one year thereafter, see section 3 of Pub. L. 92–451, set out as a note under section 2151 of this title.