BTM Board UPDATED Exam Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Define Authority - CORRECT ANSWER - Governments legal power to act
Describe the 5 fundamentals of USCG Authority? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. MLE
(maritime law enforcement)
2. Customs
3. Ports, waterways and coastal security
4. Assistance
5. CGIS
Define 14 USC 522 - CORRECT ANSWER - 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. For such purposes, commissioned, warrant, and petty
officers may at any time go on board of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or to the operation
of any law, of the United States, address inquiries to those on board, examine the ship's
documents and papers, and examine, inspect, and search the vessel and use all necessary force to
compel compliance.
Define 14 USC 102 - CORRECT ANSWER - The Coast Guard shall enforce or assist in the
enforcement of all applicable Federal laws on, under and over the high seas and waters subject to
the jurisdiction of the United States
Define 14 USC 701 - CORRECT ANSWER - federal, state, and local agencies can request
Coast Guard LE assistance when Coast Guard facilities and persons are especially qualified to
perform a particular activity.
Define 14 USC 703 - CORRECT ANSWER - Coast Guard petty officers, warrant officers,
and commissioned officers are also customs officers. Congress granted customs officer's general
LE authority, including authority to:
1. Carry a firearm;
,2. Execute and serve any order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or other process issued under
the authority of the United States;
3. Make an arrest without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in
the officer's presence
4. Perform any other law enforcement duty that the secretary of department of homeland security
may designate
Explain the purpose of a boarding to the public - CORRECT ANSWER - To insure and
enforce the vessel is meeting proper laws and safety
define jurisdiction - CORRECT ANSWER - The governments right to exercise legal authority
over its persons, vessel and territory with the context of the maritime law enforcement
Jurisdictional map - CORRECT ANSWER - 1.Territorial seas: baseline to 12NM : customs
laws
2.Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) : (12NM-200NM) outer limit of territorial seas to a distance
of 200nm from baseline
3.International waters: (12NM-Foreign territorial sea) includes all waters seaward of the
territorial sea including EEZ, high seas and contiguous zone
4.High Seas: for international purposes are those waters seaward of the EEZ. When a nation
5.contiguous zone: (12NM-24NM) is for international law purposes
6.Foreign territorial seas: up to a maximum distance of 12NM from baseline
Explain what laws are enforced in each zone - CORRECT ANSWER - - Internal waters and
Territorial seas: customs and pwcs
-contiguous zone: Fiscal, Immigration, sanitation and customs
EEZ: natural resources
High seas: Piracy, illegal brodcast, slavery
, Identify jurisdictional exceptions - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Force Majeure: A vessel forced
into coast state waters by virtue or distress. Whether brought by nature or man-made causes is
generally not subject to coastal state jurisdiction for reasonable time necessary to remedy such
distress
2. Transit passage: is the right of non-interference for a vessel or aircraft transiting through a
foreign territorial sea that compromises an international strait used for navigation between areas
of international waters
3. Peace of the port: the U.S may choose to refrain from asserting its jurisdiction over foreign
flag vessels in territorial sea and international waters. Leaving control of the matter to the vessels
flag statue
4. Innocent passage: is the right of non-interference for a vessel transiting inbound, outbound or
through a foreign territorial sea. For a vessel to enjoy this right it must be engaged in passage
that is innocent
Describe different types of vessels - CORRECT ANSWER - Recreational, commercial,
warship, government owned
What is the reason to board a vessel - CORRECT ANSWER - Any vessel suspected of not
following safety regulations and suspected of criminal activity. Any vessel we have authority and
jurisdiction over
Identify the limitations of a consensual boarding - CORRECT ANSWER - Limited to the
scope of the masters consent, if at anytime during the boarding the master withdraws consent the
boarding cannot proceed
Describe missions/deployments/operations that our unit conducts and how that applies to the CG
Authority and jurisdiction - CORRECT ANSWER - -security zones & escorts
-safety boarding
-maritime law enforcement
and CORRECT Answers
Define Authority - CORRECT ANSWER - Governments legal power to act
Describe the 5 fundamentals of USCG Authority? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. MLE
(maritime law enforcement)
2. Customs
3. Ports, waterways and coastal security
4. Assistance
5. CGIS
Define 14 USC 522 - CORRECT ANSWER - 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. For such purposes, commissioned, warrant, and petty
officers may at any time go on board of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or to the operation
of any law, of the United States, address inquiries to those on board, examine the ship's
documents and papers, and examine, inspect, and search the vessel and use all necessary force to
compel compliance.
Define 14 USC 102 - CORRECT ANSWER - The Coast Guard shall enforce or assist in the
enforcement of all applicable Federal laws on, under and over the high seas and waters subject to
the jurisdiction of the United States
Define 14 USC 701 - CORRECT ANSWER - federal, state, and local agencies can request
Coast Guard LE assistance when Coast Guard facilities and persons are especially qualified to
perform a particular activity.
Define 14 USC 703 - CORRECT ANSWER - Coast Guard petty officers, warrant officers,
and commissioned officers are also customs officers. Congress granted customs officer's general
LE authority, including authority to:
1. Carry a firearm;
,2. Execute and serve any order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or other process issued under
the authority of the United States;
3. Make an arrest without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in
the officer's presence
4. Perform any other law enforcement duty that the secretary of department of homeland security
may designate
Explain the purpose of a boarding to the public - CORRECT ANSWER - To insure and
enforce the vessel is meeting proper laws and safety
define jurisdiction - CORRECT ANSWER - The governments right to exercise legal authority
over its persons, vessel and territory with the context of the maritime law enforcement
Jurisdictional map - CORRECT ANSWER - 1.Territorial seas: baseline to 12NM : customs
laws
2.Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) : (12NM-200NM) outer limit of territorial seas to a distance
of 200nm from baseline
3.International waters: (12NM-Foreign territorial sea) includes all waters seaward of the
territorial sea including EEZ, high seas and contiguous zone
4.High Seas: for international purposes are those waters seaward of the EEZ. When a nation
5.contiguous zone: (12NM-24NM) is for international law purposes
6.Foreign territorial seas: up to a maximum distance of 12NM from baseline
Explain what laws are enforced in each zone - CORRECT ANSWER - - Internal waters and
Territorial seas: customs and pwcs
-contiguous zone: Fiscal, Immigration, sanitation and customs
EEZ: natural resources
High seas: Piracy, illegal brodcast, slavery
, Identify jurisdictional exceptions - CORRECT ANSWER - 1. Force Majeure: A vessel forced
into coast state waters by virtue or distress. Whether brought by nature or man-made causes is
generally not subject to coastal state jurisdiction for reasonable time necessary to remedy such
distress
2. Transit passage: is the right of non-interference for a vessel or aircraft transiting through a
foreign territorial sea that compromises an international strait used for navigation between areas
of international waters
3. Peace of the port: the U.S may choose to refrain from asserting its jurisdiction over foreign
flag vessels in territorial sea and international waters. Leaving control of the matter to the vessels
flag statue
4. Innocent passage: is the right of non-interference for a vessel transiting inbound, outbound or
through a foreign territorial sea. For a vessel to enjoy this right it must be engaged in passage
that is innocent
Describe different types of vessels - CORRECT ANSWER - Recreational, commercial,
warship, government owned
What is the reason to board a vessel - CORRECT ANSWER - Any vessel suspected of not
following safety regulations and suspected of criminal activity. Any vessel we have authority and
jurisdiction over
Identify the limitations of a consensual boarding - CORRECT ANSWER - Limited to the
scope of the masters consent, if at anytime during the boarding the master withdraws consent the
boarding cannot proceed
Describe missions/deployments/operations that our unit conducts and how that applies to the CG
Authority and jurisdiction - CORRECT ANSWER - -security zones & escorts
-safety boarding
-maritime law enforcement
