ARTICLE 4. Vessel Traffic Service [445. - 449.5.]

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC 4.

in effect

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 445. Section 445.

(a) The Marine Exchange of Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor, Inc., hereafter referred to as the marine exchange, a corporation organized under the Non-Profit Mutual Benefit Corporation Law, Part 3 (commencing with Section 7110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code, may operate a vessel traffic service, in cooperation with, and subject to the supervision of, the United States Coast Guard, for the waters of San Pedro Bay, San Pedro Channel, and Santa Monica Bay, within a radius of 25 nautical miles of the Point Fermin Light. These waters shall be known in this article as the “VTS area.” (b) This article applies only to the VTS area.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 445.5. Section 445.5.

“Covered vessel,” as used in this article, means any of the following: (a) Every power-driven vessel of 40 meters (approximately 131 feet) or more in length, while navigating. (b) Every towing vessel of 8 meters (approximately 26 feet) or more in length, while navigating. “Towing vessel,” as used in this article, means any commercial vessel engaged in towing another vessel astern or alongside or by pushing it ahead. (c) Every vessel issued a certificate to carry 50 or more passengers for hire, when engaged in trade.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 446. Section 446.

Prior to entering the VTS area, every covered vessel shall report to the marine exchange the vessel’s name, call sign, location, course, speed, destination, estimated time of arrival, and any impairment to the operation or navigation of the vessel, and, while transiting the VTS area, every covered vessel shall comply with the requirements of Section 447.5.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 446.5. Section 446.5.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach may impose fees upon all covered vessels within the VTS area to pay the cost of operating the vessel traffic service.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 447. Section 447.

The following vessels, while transiting the VTS area, shall comply with the requirements of Section 447.5: (a) Every power-driven vessel of 20 meters or more in length. (b) Every vessel of 100 gross tons or more carrying one or more passengers for hire. (c) Every dredge and floating plant.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 447.5. Section 447.5.

While transiting the VTS area, every vessel described in Sections 445.5 and 447 shall do all of the following: (a) Maintain continuous radio monitoring or communication with the marine exchange on the radio channel dedicated to the vessel traffic service. (b) Respond promptly when hailed by the marine exchange. (c) Communicate with the marine exchange in the English language. (d) Comply with all VTS measures established by the marine exchange that do not conflict with federal and state statutes or regulations or the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor Safety Plan prepared pursuant to Section 8670.23.1 of the Government Code.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 448. Section 448.

The vessel traffic service shall be advisory in nature. Nothing in this article relieves, or is intended to relieve, any vessel, its owners, agents, charterers, operators, or other responsible or designated parties of command of the vessel or of any responsibilities they would otherwise have respecting the navigation and operation of any vessel. Each vessel within the VTS area shall be responsible for its safe navigation in accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (1972) and any other international and local rules and regulations.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 448.5. Section 448.5.

(a) It shall be understood and agreed, and shall be the essence of the marine exchange’s operation of the vessel traffic service, that the marine exchange act as agent of each vessel subject to the requirements of this article within the VTS area in providing vessel traffic information and performing all other acts incidental to operation of the vessel traffic service. (b) No vessel subject to the requirements of this article shall assert any claim against the marine exchange or any officer, director, employee, or representative of the marine exchange for any damage, loss, or expense, including any rights of indemnity or other rights of any kind, sustained by the vessel or its owners, agents, charterers, operators, crew, or third parties arising out of, or connected with, directly or indirectly, the marine exchange’s operation of the vessel traffic service, even though resulting in whole or in part from negligent acts or omissions, of the marine exchange or any officer, director, employee, or representative of the marine exchange. (c) Each vessel subject to the requirements of this article shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the marine exchange and its officers, directors, employees, and representatives from any and all claims, suits, or actions of any nature by whomsoever asserted, even though resulting or alleged to have resulted from negligent acts or omissions of the marine exchange or an officer, director, employee, or representative of the marine exchange. (d) Nothing in subdivisions (b) and (c) shall affect liability or rights that may arise by reason of the gross negligence or intentional or willful misconduct of the marine exchange or an officer, director, employee, or representative of the marine exchange in the operation of the vessel traffic service.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 449. Section 449.

(a) The marine exchange and its officers and directors are subject to Section 5047.5 of the Corporations Code to the extent that the marine exchange meets the criteria specified in that section. (b) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to include the marine exchange or its officers, directors, employees, or representatives within the meaning of “responsible party” as defined in Section 8670.3 of the Government Code and subdivision (p) of Section 8750 of the Public Resources Code for the purposes of the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act (Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 8574.1) of Chapter 7 and Chapter 7.4 (commencing with Section 8670.1) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code and Division 7.8 (commencing with Section 8750) of the Public Resources Code).

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 449.3. Section 449.3.

The marine exchange shall cooperate fully with the administrator appointed pursuant to Section 8670.4 of the Government Code in the development and implementation of the vessel traffic service system required by Section 8670.21 of the Government Code. Upon certification by the administrator that, pursuant to Section 8670.21, the Coast Guard has commenced operation of a fully federally funded vessel traffic service system for the Los Angeles/Long Beach harbor, the authorization contained in Section 445 for the marine exchange to operate a vessel traffic service is revoked.

Cal. Harbors and Navigation Code - HNC § 449.5. Section 449.5.

(a) Upon request by the administrator, the marine exchange shall submit a complete description and operational status report of the vessel traffic service. After a public hearing, the administrator shall, in accordance with paragraph (8) of subdivision (f) of Section 8670.21 of the Government Code, determine whether the elements and operation of the vessel traffic service are consistent with the harbor safety plan for the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors developed pursuant to Section 8670.23.1 of the Government Code and the standards of a statewide vessel traffic service plan or system developed pursuant to Section 8670.21 of the Government Code. (b) If, pursuant to subdivision (a), the administrator determines that the vessel traffic service is inconsistent with the harbor safety plan for the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors developed pursuant to Section 8670.23.1 of the Government Code and the standards of a statewide vessel traffic service plan or vessel traffic monitoring and communications system developed pursuant to Section 8670.21 of the Government Code, the administrator shall issue an order to the marine exchange which specifies modifications to the vessel traffic service to eliminate the inconsistencies. (c) If the marine exchange has not complied with an order within six months of issuance, then the administrator, after a public hearing, may take any or all of the following actions: (1) Impose on the marine exchange an administrative fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day the marine exchange does not comply with the administrator’s order. (2) Administratively revoke the authorization provided to the marine exchange by Section 445 to operate the vessel traffic service. (d) If authorization for the marine exchange to operate the vessel traffic service is revoked pursuant to this section, the administrator shall take any action that is necessary to expeditiously establish a vessel traffic service for the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbors. The action may include the assessment of fees on vessels, port users, and ports, and the making of needed expenditures, as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 8670.21.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026