The Inspections Division is responsible for conducting safety & security inspections and examinations of U.S. & foreign-flagged vessels, waterfront facilities, and inter-modal shipping containers throughout the Sector's area of responsibility (AOR). Members of the Inspections Division conduct these activities for the enforcement of all applicable maritime safety & security regulations promulgated in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, as well as the standards of the conventions & codes published by the International Maritime Organization to which the U.S. is signatory. The overall goals of the Inspections Division are the safeguarding of life & property at sea, the security of the marine transportation system (MTS) & infrastructure, and the protection of the marine environment. An essential part of the Sector Hampton Roads team, the Prevention Department’s Inspections Division executes major components of the Coast Guard's over-arching statutory missions of Marine Safety, Ports Waterways & Coastal Security (PWCS), and Marine Environmental Protection in the Port of Virginia, the birthplace of our nation.

Inspected Vessels Branch:

The Inspected Vessel Branch (IVB) is comprised of uniformed and civilian Marine Inspectors (MI's), who conduct inspections and evaluations of U.S.-flagged vessels and crews for the purposes of ensuring compliance with applicable safety & security regulations & policies for the protection of life, property, the marine environment, and for safeguarding against potential security threats. As the direct representatives of the Sector Commander, MI's execute vessel inspection & administration authorities delegated to them through the Sector Commander's statutory authority as the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections (OCMI). Though these activities, the IVB fulfills the Coast Guard's U.S. Flag Administration responsibilities for domestic vessels home-ported or transiting within the Sector Hampton Roads OCMI zone.

Phone: (757) (757) 668-5511

Port Safety & Security Branch:

The Port Safety & Security Branch (PSS) is comprised of the Port State Control (PSC) and Facilities & Containers sections. PSC officers conduct examinations aboard foreign-flagged vessels for the purposes of ensuring the safety & competence of the crew and the safe condition & security of the vessel. Sector Hampton Roads PSC activities are aimed at the elimination of substandard shipping from U.S. waters, the reduction of security threats to U.S. ports & the maritime domain, and the protection of the marine environment from potential sources of vessel pollution. Members of the Facilities & Containers section are responsible for the inspection of regulated waterfront facilities and inter-modal shipping containers in accordance with applicable regulations and policies. These activities are conducted to ensure the security of the maritime infrastructure of the port and the vessels that call on it. Likewise, such efforts are undertaken for the protection of the marine environment from threats of pollution hazards.

Phone: (757) 668-5525

The Waterways Management (WWM) Division represents the Coast Guard Captain of the Port by managing activities and the safe transit of all vessels on navigable waters. The Division focuses on maintaining open waterways to support maritime mobility and ensure the effective and efficient flow of commerce. The Division works closely with a number of agencies and port stakeholders; including but not limited to local Coast Guard units, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, county and city representatives, port authorities, and waterway users.
The Waterways Management Division monitors a variety of marine activities and events, such as dredging and marine construction projects, the status of aids to navigation, the removal of hazards and obstructions, and a wide variety of sponsored marine events. These activities, coupled with everyday commercial and recreational traffic can often present potential hazards that require oversight and mediation.
Specific tasks completed by the Waterways Management Division include, but are not limited to: managing the construction and maintenance to local aids to navigation, reviewing construction plans for bridges, drafting and coordinating special local regulations and safety and security zones, issuing Broadcast Notice to Mariners, Local Notices to Mariners and Public Notices, assisting in tracking and coordinating removal operations of abandoned and derelict vessels within the region, coordinating and facilitating Marine Transportation System Recovery Subcommittee, managing and upholding applicable Federal Regulations within the region, managing all waterway restrictions and closures so both commerce and the boating public are minimally impacted, and assisting in the coordination of government agency working groups for all waterways issues.
The objective of Sector Hampton Roads' Waterways Management Division is to safeguard persons, facilities, vessels, the marine environment, and the marine transportation system. The Division consists of one main office located in the Norfolk Federal Building and three Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Teams: Chincoteague, Milford Haven, and Hampton Roads.