Federal · Title 14 — Coast Guard

14 U.S.C. § 544: Aids to maritime navigation; penalty

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Owners or operators of maritime structures must comply with federal regulations for navigation lights and signals. Violations constitute a misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $1,500 per day of violation.

Read the full statutory text

The Secretary shall prescribe and enforce necessary and reasonable rules and regulations, for the protection of maritime navigation, relative to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of lights and other signals on fixed and floating structures in or over waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and in the high seas for structures owned or operated by persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Any owner or operator of such a structure, excluding an agency of the United States, who violates any of the rules or regulations prescribed hereunder, commits a misdemeanor and shall be punished, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of not exceeding $1,500 for each day which such violation continues.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.