33 CFR 151.2055: Voyage deviation for ballast water exchange

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section covers whether a vessel must deviate from or delay its voyage to conduct ballast water exchange (BWE). As long as BWE is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart, the Coast Guard will not require deviation or delay. A vessel may be required to deviate or delay if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.

What it says

  1. As long as BWE is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart, the Coast Guard will not require a vessel to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage in order to conduct BWE.

    “As long as ballast water exchange (BWE) is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart, the Coast Guard will not require a vessel to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage in order to conduct BWE.”

  2. A vessel may be required to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.

    “A vessel may be required to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.”

Common questions

Does the Coast Guard require a vessel to deviate from its voyage to conduct ballast water exchange?

Not as long as BWE is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart. However, a vessel may be required to deviate or delay if a Captain of the Port directs BWE pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.

“As long as ballast water exchange (BWE) is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart, the Coast Guard will not require a vessel to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage in order to conduct BWE.”

When may a vessel be required to deviate or delay its voyage for BWE?

A vessel may be required to deviate or delay if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.

“A vessel may be required to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.”

The text of 33 CFR 151.2055

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

Deviation from planned voyage

As long as ballast water exchange (BWE) is an allowable ballast water management option under §§ 151.2025 and 151.2035 of this subpart, the Coast Guard will not require a vessel to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage in order to conduct BWE. A vessel may be required to deviate from its voyage or delay the voyage if BWE is directed by a Captain of the Port pursuant to § 151.2040(b) of this subpart.

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.