BTM Exam Questions and Answers Already Passed Latest Update 2025-2026
14 USC 522 - authority for conducting a boarding - Answers 'The Coast Guard may make
inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and
waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and
suppression of violations of laws of the United States'
Authority - Answers the government's legal power to act
jurisdiction - Answers the government's right to exercise a legal authority over its persons,
vessels, and territory
sources of coast guard law enforcement authority - Answers Maritime Law enforcement
Customs
Protection and security of vessels, harbors, and waterfront facilities
Assistance
CGIS
M.C.P.A
Master Chiefs Protect America
Nexus - Answers crossing of a border
Who has MLE authority - Answers coast guard commissioned officers, warrant officers, and
petty officers.
Includes reservists w/ orders.
Non-rates act under authority of the Boarding Officer
where can Customs Authority be exercised - Answers Coast guard customs authority can be
exercised within customs waters, at the border, the Functional equivalent of the Border (FEB), or
the extended Border.
14 USC 99 - Answers grants certain coast guard authority to conduct law enforcement ashore
while at a governmenty facility
14 USC 141 - Answers authorizes the coast guard to provide federal, state, or local agencies law
,enforcement assistance when CG facilities and persons are qualified
3 elements of jurisdiction - Answers substantive law - there must be a substantive domestic,
foreign, or international law that applies
vessel status/flag - coast guard may be able to claim jurisdiction over the type of vessel or flag
before legal authority can be exercised over that vessel
location - the allowable extent of US jurisdiction over a person or vessel is determined by the
character of the water in which they are located
jurisdictional locations - Answers baseline - low waterline along the coast
territorial sea - baseline to 12nm
customs waters - internal waters to 12nm
contigous zone - 12nm-24nm, a buffer zone
EEZ (exclusive economic zone) - 12nm - 200nm
international waters - 12nm - foreign country border
high seas - 200nm - foreign country border
foreign territorial seas - up to 12nm
commandant's guiding principle - Answers Only that force reasonably necessary under the
circumstances may be used. excessive force may never be used.
3 types of self defense - Answers individual - the use of force to defend oneself or others from
, the imminent threat of physical injury
unit - the act of defending a particular unit of US military forces or law enforcement agency
assets from imminent danger
national - defense of the US, US Forces, and, in certain circumstances, US persons and their
property, and/or US commercial assets from a hostile act or demonstration of hostile intent
Captain of the port - Answers captain DuFrane
0-6 or higher
types of flag status - Answers U.S. Flagged
Foreign flagged - requires a statement of no objection (SNO) from foreign country
without nationality
treated as without nationality - world traveler/conflicting info
FISC - Answers Acronym for policing Exclusive Economic Zone
Fiscal
Immigration
Sanitation
Customs
universal crimes - Answers piracy, slavery, unauthorized broadcasting
substantive law - Answers Drug enforcement,
immigration,
14 USC 522 - authority for conducting a boarding - Answers 'The Coast Guard may make
inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and
waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and
suppression of violations of laws of the United States'
Authority - Answers the government's legal power to act
jurisdiction - Answers the government's right to exercise a legal authority over its persons,
vessels, and territory
sources of coast guard law enforcement authority - Answers Maritime Law enforcement
Customs
Protection and security of vessels, harbors, and waterfront facilities
Assistance
CGIS
M.C.P.A
Master Chiefs Protect America
Nexus - Answers crossing of a border
Who has MLE authority - Answers coast guard commissioned officers, warrant officers, and
petty officers.
Includes reservists w/ orders.
Non-rates act under authority of the Boarding Officer
where can Customs Authority be exercised - Answers Coast guard customs authority can be
exercised within customs waters, at the border, the Functional equivalent of the Border (FEB), or
the extended Border.
14 USC 99 - Answers grants certain coast guard authority to conduct law enforcement ashore
while at a governmenty facility
14 USC 141 - Answers authorizes the coast guard to provide federal, state, or local agencies law
,enforcement assistance when CG facilities and persons are qualified
3 elements of jurisdiction - Answers substantive law - there must be a substantive domestic,
foreign, or international law that applies
vessel status/flag - coast guard may be able to claim jurisdiction over the type of vessel or flag
before legal authority can be exercised over that vessel
location - the allowable extent of US jurisdiction over a person or vessel is determined by the
character of the water in which they are located
jurisdictional locations - Answers baseline - low waterline along the coast
territorial sea - baseline to 12nm
customs waters - internal waters to 12nm
contigous zone - 12nm-24nm, a buffer zone
EEZ (exclusive economic zone) - 12nm - 200nm
international waters - 12nm - foreign country border
high seas - 200nm - foreign country border
foreign territorial seas - up to 12nm
commandant's guiding principle - Answers Only that force reasonably necessary under the
circumstances may be used. excessive force may never be used.
3 types of self defense - Answers individual - the use of force to defend oneself or others from
, the imminent threat of physical injury
unit - the act of defending a particular unit of US military forces or law enforcement agency
assets from imminent danger
national - defense of the US, US Forces, and, in certain circumstances, US persons and their
property, and/or US commercial assets from a hostile act or demonstration of hostile intent
Captain of the port - Answers captain DuFrane
0-6 or higher
types of flag status - Answers U.S. Flagged
Foreign flagged - requires a statement of no objection (SNO) from foreign country
without nationality
treated as without nationality - world traveler/conflicting info
FISC - Answers Acronym for policing Exclusive Economic Zone
Fiscal
Immigration
Sanitation
Customs
universal crimes - Answers piracy, slavery, unauthorized broadcasting
substantive law - Answers Drug enforcement,
immigration,
