Captain of the Port Law and Legal Definition
According to 49 CFR 171.8 [Title 49 – Transportation; Subtitle B -- Other Regulations Relating to Transportation; Chapter I -- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation; Subchapter C -- Hazardous Materials Regulations; Part 171 -- General Information, Regulations, and Definitions; Subpart A -- Applicability, General Requirements, and North American Shipments], Captain of the Port (COTP) means “the officer of the Coast Guard, under the command of a District Commander, so designated by the Commandant for the purpose of giving immediate direction to Coast Guard law enforcement activities within an assigned area. As used in this subchapter, the term Captain of the Port includes an authorized representative of the Captain of the Port.”
