Code of Alabama - Title 33: Navigation and Watercourses - Chapter 4 - Pilots and Pilotage

• Article 1 State Pilotage Commission.
• Section 33-4-1 Composition; powers and duties generally
  (a) There shall be a board of pilotage commissioners, to be known as the State Pilotage Commission, which shall consist of three voting members. One...
• Section 33-4-2 Qualifications of commissioners
  All of the members of said commission, at the time of their appointment and during their respective terms of office, shall be citizens of the...
• Section 33-4-3 Terms, compensation and traveling expenses of commissioners
  The Governor shall appoint said commissioners to hold office for six years from the dates of the expiration of their respective commissions and until their...
• Section 33-4-4 Bond of commissioners
  Before entering upon the duties of their office, the commissioners shall execute to the State of Alabama a bond, to be approved by the Governor,...
• Section 33-4-5 Chair; acting chair
  The commissioners shall elect a chair to preside at its meetings who may not be the bar pilot commission member. It shall be the further...
• Section 33-4-6 Secretary
  The State Pilotage Commission may employ a secretary, who may not be a member of the commission, and who shall be paid an annual salary...
• Section 33-4-7 Meetings
  The commissioners shall meet at least once every three months at such time and place as may be by them selected and may meet oftener...
• Section 33-4-8 Vacancies in office
  If a vacancy occurs from any cause in the office of a commissioner before the expiration of his term, his successor must be appointed by...
• Section 33-4-9 Territorial jurisdiction
  The jurisdiction of said commission, under this chapter, shall extend over the waters of Mobile Bay, Mobile River and over all tributary streams flowing into...
• Section 33-4-10 No jurisdiction over harbor masters
  The State Pilotage Commission shall not have jurisdiction over Harbor Masters or deputy masters in any harbor or seaport in the State of Alabama.
• Section 33-4-11 Authority to make rules and regulations, etc
  The State Pilotage Commission shall have the power and authority to make all necessary rules and regulations, regulating the piloting of ships and all watercrafts...
• Section 33-4-12 Civil actions to recover forfeitures
  The commissioners may, in their own names as commissioners, or in that of their chairman as such, bring civil actions for and recover any forfeiture...
• Section 33-4-13 Fees
  The fees of the commissioners are as follows: For every branch granted, $10.00; for taking and filing bond and affidavit, $1.00; giving copy from records,...
• Section 33-4-14 Records
  The commissioners shall preserve in a well-bound book a record of their acts and of the rules and regulations adopted by them for the direction...
• Article 2 Pilots Generally.
• Section 33-4-30 Number of pilots; application, examination and certification required for license
  (a) At no time shall there exist more apprentices or pilots than are reasonably necessary to meet the requirements of commerce, the number of apprentices...
• Section 33-4-31 Qualifications; age limitations for apprentices
  (a) In order to prevent delays in the apprenticeship and branching of bar pilots, the commission shall when necessary maintain a register of applicants containing...
• Section 33-4-32 Selection of apprentices
  All apprentices, before becoming eligible for service as such apprentices, shall be selected and approved by said State Pilotage Commission.
• Section 33-4-33 Apprentice not to be discharged except for cause; appeal of discharge
  No Mobile Bay or bar pilot apprentice shall be discharged except for cause, and any such apprentice or boatkeeper so discharged may appeal from such...
• Section 33-4-34 Application for license, etc., to be in writing accompanied by certificate and affidavit; branching or licensing according to seniority
  A person, to be eligible to be branched or licensed as the next bar pilot, shall meet all of the following criteria at the time...
• Section 33-4-35 Examination and certification generally
  Before an applicant is branched or licensed, the commission must prepare in writing suitable questions to test his knowledge and competency to become such pilot,...
• Section 33-4-36 Apprentice pilots not required to take second examination
  No apprentice pilot who has successfully passed an examination for a Mobile Bay or bar pilot shall be required to undergo or pass another examination...
• Section 33-4-37 Issuing licenses; possession and exhibition of licenses; oath of pilot
  The State Pilotage Commission shall issue to each pilot licensed and branched by them an original and a duplicate certificate of his appointment, competency and...
• Section 33-4-38 Levy, payment, and disposition of pilot's license tax
  There is levied upon each licensed pilot engaged in service as a pilot under this chapter a license or privilege tax in the sum of...
• Section 33-4-39 Bond of pilot - Required; amount; conditions; renewal
  Before receiving his branch, the pilot must make and deliver to the commissioners a bond payable to the chairman of the commission and his successors,...
• Section 33-4-40 Bond of pilot - Preserving bonds, etc.; new bonds; actions on bonds; liability
  (a) The commissioners must preserve on file all bonds and affidavits taken from pilots, and may, whenever they consider it necessary, require a new bond...
• Section 33-4-41 Revocation or suspension of license for cause - Generally
  For any violation by any pilot of any of the provisions of this chapter, or any of the rules and regulations established by the commission...
• Section 33-4-42 Revocation or suspension of license for cause - Failure of witness to answer subpoena
  On the failure to answer such subpoenas when so served, such witness shall forfeit the sum of $50.00, for which the said commission may, in...
• Section 33-4-43 Revocation or suspension of license for cause - Witnesses' fees and mileage
  Such witnesses shall be paid the sum of $1.50 a day during their attendance upon such commission at such hearing, and $.05 a mile for...
• Section 33-4-44 Revocation or suspension of license for cause - Issuance of subpoenas in behalf of pilot
  Such pilot against whom such charges have been filed, upon depositing with the secretary of said commission an amount sufficient to cover the costs and...
• Section 33-4-45 Revocation or suspension of license for cause - Hearings; decision of commission
  Such hearing shall be conducted under such rules and regulations as the commission may from time to time establish. The commission shall hear the testimony...
• Section 33-4-46 Grounds for depriving pilot of branch
  The commission may deprive any pilot of his branch for a willful violation of his duties, or the orders or regulation of the commissioners, or...
• Section 33-4-47 Penalty for acting without license
  Any person who pilots a foreign vessel, or an American vessel under register, or any other vessel subject to the payment of pilotage fees under...
• Section 33-4-48 Pay of pilots - Generally
  (a) The master, owner, agent, or operator of any ship or vessel shall pay the pilot who conducts a vessel into or out of the...
• Section 33-4-49 Pay of pilots - Time of payment
  A pilot who has brought a vessel into port is entitled to his fees before her departure from port, to be paid in advance, or...
• Section 33-4-50 Pay of pilots - Fees of pilots detained on vessels
  If the master of any vessel retains a pilot on board, the wind and weather permitting her going to sea, the pilot is entitled to...
• Section 33-4-51 Pay of pilots - No discrimination or rebating of pilot's fees
  There shall be no discrimination among vessels subject to the payment of pilotage fees, and any person who rebates any pilotage fees or seeks a...
• Section 33-4-52 Pay of pilots - Exemptions from payment of pilot's fees
  All vessels, whether sail, steam or propelled by any other motive power, including vessels, barges and rafts in tow, engaged in coastwise trade, including those...
• Section 33-4-53 Compulsory retirement of bar pilots
  Every bar pilot licensed and branched by the State Pilotage Commission upon reaching the age of 68 years shall be required to retire and surrender...
• Section 33-4-54 Vessels required to take pilots
  All steam or sail vessels crossing the outer bar of Mobile Bay, except those exempt under this chapter, shall be conducted, controlled or navigated by...
• Section 33-4-55 Pilot boats must offer services to vessels nearest bar
  Every pilot boat cruising or standing out to sea must offer service of a pilot to the vessel nearest the bar, unless a vessel more...
• Section 33-4-56 Delivery of orders and letters by pilot
  It is the duty of every outer-bar pilot to deliver to the master of any and every vessel approaching the Bay or Harbor of Mobile,...
• Section 33-4-57 Report of unlawful discharge of ballast, sweepings, rubbish, etc., in bay, etc
  Every pilot, having knowledge of the discharge of ballast, sweepings, screenings, cinders, refuse and rubbish of any kind in the Bay of Mobile or in...

Last modified: May 3, 2021