# 2026-03054: Coast Guard Slashes Fees for Great Lakes Ship Guides

2026-03054, Great Lakes Pilotage Rates-2026 Annual Review and Revisions to Methodology, is a Federal Register rule from Homeland Security Department, Coast Guard published 2026-02-17, effective 2026-03-19 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-03054
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-03054
- Title: Great Lakes Pilotage Rates-2026 Annual Review and Revisions to Methodology
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Homeland Security Department; Coast Guard
- Citation: 91 FR 7121
- Published: 2026-02-17
- Effective: 2026-03-19
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: 1625-AD03
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Coast Guard Slashes Fees for Great Lakes Ship Guides

## Summary

Starting March 19, 2026, Great Lakes shipping companies will enjoy about a 6% cut in pilotage costs thanks to new rates set by the Coast Guard. They also tweaked how they calculate these rates by dropping one step to keep things simpler and fairer. This means smoother sailing for ships and better support for the supply chain in the Great Lakes region!

## Abstract

The Coast Guard is issuing new base Great Lakes pilotage rates for the 2026 shipping season. The Coast Guard estimates that this final rule will result in an approximately 6-percent decrease in operating costs compared to the 2025 season, while facilitating commerce and supply chains. The Coast Guard is also making one change to the ratemaking methodology: the removal of Step 5 regarding the working capital fund. We conducted a full ratemaking for the 2026 ratemaking and considered comments on the Great Lakes pilotage ratemaking methodology.

## Effects PRIA read

- About 6% Cut in Pilotage Costs: benefit, medium. If you operate or pay for oceangoing vessel pilotage on the Great Lakes, the Coast Guard set new 2026 rates that reduce operating costs by about 6 percent compared to 2025, resulting in an estimated net decrease of $2,708,485 in annual payments by shippers and vessels. This change is effective Marc…
- New Hourly Pilotage Rates By Area: mixed, medium. The Coast Guard set 2026 hourly base pilotage rates for six Great Lakes areas effective March 19, 2026; rates range from $382 to $978 per pilot hour. The final 2026 rates by area are: St. Lawrence River $978, Lake Ontario $623, Southeast Shoal to Port Huron $681, Lake Erie $555, St. Marys River $86…
- Working Capital Fund Step Removed: benefit, low. The Coast Guard removed Step 5 of the ratemaking methodology, which calculated a required working capital fund and eliminated the related requirement that pilotage associations deposit a computed amount into that fund. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor associations' finances and may authoriz…
- Pilot Pay Benchmark Set at $481,642: benefit, high. The Coast Guard set the 2026 target yearly base compensation for each United States Registered Pilot on the Great Lakes at $481,642, an increase of $17,325 (3.73 percent) over 2025, and set the Apprentice Pilot wage benchmark at 36 percent of that amount, or $173,391. These compensation benchmarks…
- Apprentice Pilot Funding Adjusted by District: benefit, low. For the 2026 shipping season the Coast Guard funds a total of 7 Apprentice Pilots across the three districts: District One will be funded for 2 Apprentice Pilots, District Two 0, and District Three 5. These staffing decisions were revised in response to public comments and are used in the ratemakin…

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## Sources
- [2026-03054 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/17/2026-03054/great-lakes-pilotage-rates-2026-annual-review-and-revisions-to-methodology)
- [2026-03054 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-17/pdf/2026-03054.pdf)

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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-03054 (as of 2026-06-11).