33 CFR 155.330: Oily mixture retention on non-oceangoing ships
Last reviewed: October 14, 2026
This section covers oily mixtures (bilge slops) on U.S. non-oceangoing ships in the navigable waters of the United States. A ship must have the capacity to retain all oily mixtures on board and be equipped to discharge them to a reception facility. The section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.
Applies toU.S. non-oceangoing ships operated in the navigable waters of the United States, but not a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.
What it says
No person may operate a U.S. non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States unless it has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures.
33 CFR 155.330(a)“No person may operate a U.S. non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States, unless it has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures”
The ship must also be equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility.
33 CFR 155.330(a)“is equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility”
A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges.
33 CFR 155.330(b)“A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges.”
An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.
33 CFR 155.330(b)“An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.”
This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.
33 CFR 155.330(c)“This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.”
Common questions
Do non-oceangoing ships need a sludge tank?
No. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.
“An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.”
Can a non-oceangoing ship keep bilge slops in its bilges?
Yes. A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges.
“A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges.”
Does 33 CFR 155.330 apply to drilling rigs?
No. The section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.
“This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.”
The text of 33 CFR 155.330
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR
Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships
(a) No person may operate a U.S. non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States, unless it has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures and is equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility.
(b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.
(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.
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.