Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Cal. HNC § 133

This is the official text of Cal. HNC § 133, part of California’s Harbors and Navigation Code — regulates ports, harbors, and boating.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Official statutory text

(a) Except in case of emergency imperiling life or property, or unavoidable accident, collision, or stranding, or as otherwise permitted by law, it is unlawful and constitutes a misdemeanor for a person to discharge, or suffer the discharge of, oil by any methods, means, or manner, into or upon the navigable waters of the state from any vessel using oil as fuel for the generation of propulsion power, or any vessel carrying or having oil in excess of that necessary for its lubricating requirements, and as may be required under the laws and prescribed rules and regulations of the United States and this state.

(b) As used in this section, the term “oil” means oil of any kind or in any form, including fuel oil, oil sludge, and oil refuse, and the term, “navigable waters of the state,” means all portions of the sea within the territorial jurisdiction of the state, and all inland waters navigable in fact in which the tide ebbs and flows.

(c) A person found guilty of a misdemeanor violation of this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed six months, or both that fine and imprisonment.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in California?

Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.