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HARBORS

California harbors: rules for vendors and boat owners

24 California harbors and marinas, with what each one publishes for service providers (permits, insurance, licenses, hull-cleaning rules) and for boat owners (slip fees, living aboard, copper paint, pump-out). 15 publish a vendor permit or registration, 16 publish insurance requirements and 15 publish slip rates.

By the DockDash teamLast reviewed How we research
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Southern California

  • Channel Islands Harbor

    County · County of Ventura Harbor Department

    Vendor permit
    $340 annual or $145 for one day; ID card $30 refundable deposit
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

  • Dana Point Harbor

    County · Dana Point Harbor management (County of Orange harbor); slips leased through The Marina at Dana Point

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees

    Last verified

  • Long Beach marinas (Alamitos Bay, Shoreline, Rainbow Harbor)

    City · City of Long Beach, Marine Bureau

    Vendor permit
    No charge for the registration card; key deposit $50 per key
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    liveaboard, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Marina del Rey

    County · LA County Department of Beaches & Harbors (anchorages run by private lessees)

    Vendor permit
    $10
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Newport Harbor (Newport Beach)

    City · City of Newport Beach Harbor Department

    Vendor permit
    $424 initial, $95 renewal
    Liability minimum
    Required; amount not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • San Diego Bay (Port of San Diego)

    Port district · Port of San Diego (public port district); marinas are Port tenants

    Vendor permit
    $250
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Santa Barbara Harbor

    City · City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department

    Vendor permit
    $50 per year, including employee ID cards; $35 late fee; $5 replacement card
    Liability minimum
    $500K for minor maintenance such as cleaning and detailing or $2M for major repair and commercial diving, per occurrence
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

  • Seaforth Marina (Mission Bay)

    Private marina · Seaforth Marina (private operator on a City of San Diego leasehold)

    Vendor permit
    No fee published
    Liability minimum
    $500K per occurrence
    Owner info
    copper

    Last verified

  • Ventura Harbor

    Port district · Ventura Port District

    Vendor permit
    $207 application fee (includes a 3.5% card fee)
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    liveaboard

    Last verified

Central California

  • Monterey Harbor

    City · City of Monterey (Harbor and Marina division)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

  • Moss Landing Harbor

    Harbor district · Moss Landing Harbor District

    Vendor permit
    $250 application fee + $250 per year issuance fee, plus any CEQA review fee
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

  • Santa Cruz Harbor

    Port district · Santa Cruz Port District

    Vendor permit
    $250
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate (boatyard contractors; the application form page itself lists $1M)
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

San Francisco Bay Area

  • Berkeley Marina

    City · City of Berkeley

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    Not published
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Brickyard Cove Marina (Point Richmond)

    Private marina · Brickyard Cove Marina (private)

    Vendor permit
    Keys $11
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    None published

    Last verified

  • Clipper Yacht Harbor (Sausalito)

    Private marina · Clipper Yacht Co. LLC (private)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    slip fees, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Grand Marina (Alameda)

    Private marina · Grand Marina (private)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    None published

    Last verified

  • KKMI boatyard (Point Richmond)

    Boatyard · KKMI (private boatyard)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence (the agreement sets $1M per occurrence; KKMI's sample certificate shows $2M aggregate)
    Owner info
    None published

    Last verified

  • PIER 39 Marina

    Private marina · PIER 39 Marina (private)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    Required; amount not published
    Owner info
    None published

    Last verified

  • Pillar Point Harbor & Oyster Point Marina

    Harbor district · San Mateo County Harbor District

    Vendor permit
    $68 per year; a percent-of-sales fee may also apply. (The broader Commercial Activity Permit is $334/yr at Pillar Point or $336/yr at Oyster Point, +$100/yr per extra harbor, possible $500 deposit.)
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified

  • San Francisco Marina

    City · San Francisco Recreation & Park Department

    Vendor permit
    No fee published
    Liability minimum
    $500K per occurrence ($500K is from the 2012 Marina Rules; the vendor portal states no limit)
    Owner info
    liveaboard

    Last verified

  • South Beach Harbor

    Port district · Port of San Francisco

    Vendor permit
    $50 per year (includes an annual vendor parking tag); contractor parking permit $20/day
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence (the January 2026 vendor application asks for $1M; the harbor rules effective January 1, 2026 still say $500K)
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard, copper, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Westpoint Harbor (Redwood City)

    Private marina · Westpoint Harbor (private)

    Vendor permit
    No fee published; key fobs $25 deposit each, up to 3 per vendor
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard, pump-out

    Last verified

Delta & Rivers

  • Delta Bay Marina (Isleton)

    Private marina · Delta Bay Marina (private)

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    liveaboard, pump-out

    Last verified

  • Sacramento Marina

    City · City of Sacramento

    Vendor permit
    None published
    Liability minimum
    $1M per occurrence
    Owner info
    slip fees, liveaboard

    Last verified