Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-102
§3811 Operating Regulations
Title 22 › CHAPTER 51 — PANAMA CANAL › SUBCHAPTER I — ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part 8 — Shipping and Navigation › subpart i — operation of canal › § 3811
Summary
The Commission can make and change rules about running the Panama Canal. Those rules cover ship movement in the canal, its harbors and nearby waters (including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal), passage through locks and approaches, pilotage, and licensing of vessel officers and operators.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §3811
Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Commission may prescribe, and from time to time amend, regulations governing—
(1)the operation of the Panama Canal;
(2)the navigation of the harbors and other waters of the Panama Canal and areas adjacent thereto, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal;
(3)the passage and control of vessels through the Panama Canal or any part thereof, including the locks and approaches thereto;
(4)pilotage in the Panama Canal or the approaches thereto through the adjacent waters; and
(5)the licensing of officers or other operators of vessels navigating the waters of the Panama Canal and areas adjacent thereto, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–201 substituted “Commission” for “President” in introductory provisions.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 3811
Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102