33 CFR 151.2035: Ballast water management implementation schedule

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section says how a vessel subject to § 151.2025 may discharge ballast water into waters of the United States. It must meet the discharge standard, use an AMS, or ballast only with U.S. public water system water, following the schedule in Table 151.2035(b). Compliance dates depend on construction date and ballast water capacity.

Applies toThe master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel subject to § 151.2025 of this subpart.

What it says

  1. To discharge ballast water into waters of the United States, the responsible person must ensure the ballast water meets the discharge standard in § 151.2030(a), use an AMS as described in § 151.2025(a)(3), or ballast exclusively with U.S. public water system water as described in § 151.2025(a)(2), according to the schedule in paragraph (b).

    33 CFR 151.2035(a)“must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.2030(a), use an AMS as described in § 151.2025(a)(3)”

  2. After the dates in Table 151.2035(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, use PWS per § 151.2025(a)(2), or use a previously installed AMS per § 151.2025(a)(3).

    33 CFR 151.2035(b)“After the dates listed in Table 151.2035(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, use PWS per § 151.2025(a)(2), or use a previously installed AMS per § 151.2025(a)(3).”

  3. New vessels, meaning those constructed on or after December 1, 2013, have a compliance date of on delivery, whatever their ballast water capacity.

    33 CFR 151.2035(b)“New vessels All On or after December 1, 2013 On delivery.”

  4. Existing vessels with a ballast water capacity of 1500-5000 m3, constructed before December 1, 2013, must comply by the first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.

    33 CFR 151.2035(b)“1500-5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.”

  5. Existing vessels with a ballast water capacity of less than 1500 m3, constructed before December 1, 2013, must comply by the first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.

    33 CFR 151.2035(b)“Less than 1500 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.”

  6. Existing vessels with a ballast water capacity greater than 5000 m3, constructed before December 1, 2013, must comply by the first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.

    33 CFR 151.2035(b)“Greater than 5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.”

Common questions

What are the ways to discharge ballast water into U.S. waters under this section?

The responsible person must ensure the ballast water meets the discharge standard in § 151.2030(a), use an AMS as described in § 151.2025(a)(3), or ballast exclusively with U.S. public water system water as described in § 151.2025(a)(2). This must follow the schedule in paragraph (b).

“must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.2030(a), use an AMS as described in § 151.2025(a)(3)”

When must a new vessel comply with the ballast water schedule?

A new vessel, constructed on or after December 1, 2013, has a compliance date of on delivery. This applies to all ballast water capacities.

“New vessels All On or after December 1, 2013 On delivery.”

What is the compliance date for an existing vessel with 1500-5000 m3 of ballast water capacity?

An existing vessel in that capacity range, constructed before December 1, 2013, must comply by the first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.

“1500-5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.”

The text of 33 CFR 151.2035

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Implementation schedule for approved ballast water management methods

(a) To discharge ballast water into waters of the United States, the master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel subject to § 151.2025 of this subpart must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.2030(a), use an AMS as described in § 151.2025(a)(3) or ballast exclusively with water from a U.S. public water system, as described in § 151.2025(a)(2), according to the schedule in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Implementation Schedule for the Ballast Water Management Discharge Standard for vessels using a Coast Guard approved BWMS to manage ballast water discharged to waters of the U.S. After the dates listed in Table 151.2035(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, use PWS per § 151.2025(a)(2), or use a previously installed AMS per § 151.2025(a)(3).

Table 151.2035(b)—Implementation Schedule for Approved Ballast Water Management Methods Vessel's ballastwater capacity Date constructed Vessel's compliance date New vessels All On or after December 1, 2013 On delivery. Existing vessels Less than 1500 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016. 1500-5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014. Greater than 5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.