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HomeHarbors and Navigation CodeDiv. 2Ch. 4§ 308 Buoy And Beacon Protection

§ 308 Buoy And Beacon Protection

Harbors and Navigation Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 308 Buoy And Beacon Protection

This law says you can't tie your boat to a Coast Guard buoy that isn’t meant for mooring, and you can’t damage or take away any Coast Guard buoys or beacons on land or water.

Key Takeaways

  • •Don’t moor a boat to any buoy or beacon unless it’s a designated mooring buoy.
  • •Don’t hang onto, damage, remove, or destroy any Coast Guard buoys or beacons, whether in the water or on land.
  • •Each of these actions is a misdemeanor (a criminal offense).

Example

A fisherman ties his boat to a Coast Guard buoy that is only for navigation, not for mooring.

Because the buoy isn’t a designated mooring buoy, the fisherman is breaking the law and could be charged with a misdemeanor.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 308 Buoy And Beacon Protection

A person who moors a vessel of any kind, to a buoy or beacon, except a designated mooring buoy, placed in the waters of the state by authority of the United States Coast Guard, or who in any manner hangs on to the same, with a vessel, or who willfully removes, damages, or destroys any such buoy or beacon, or any part of the buoy or beacon, or who cuts down, removes, damages, or destroys a beacon erected on land in this state by that authority, is, for every offense, guilty of a misdemeanor. (Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 610, Sec. 26. (SB 717) Effective January 1, 2010.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

misdemeanormoors a vesselbuoy or beacondesignated mooring buoyUnited States Coast Guardwillfully removes, damages, or destroys

Related Statutes

  • § 307 Buoy And Beacon Protection
  • § 300 Vessel Damage Misdemeanor
  • § 301 Vessel Damage Misdemeanor
  • § 303 Lumber Arson Or Destruction
  • § 309 Misdemeanor Penalties And Fines

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Harbors and Navigation Code. Section 308.
View Official Source