DockDash
HARBORS · SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

San Diego Bay (Port of San Diego): rules for vendors and boat owners

What San Diego Bay (Port of San Diego) publishes for marine service providers and for boat owners, quoted from the operator's own pages and documents. Each rule shows its source and the date we last read it.

By the DockDash teamLast reviewed How we research
Motor yachts moored along a concrete dock on a sunny day, with palm trees and houses across the bay

Photo: Jaymantri on Pexels

Pexels License

Illustrative photo; it may not show this harbor.

At a glance

Run by
Port of San Diego (public port district); marinas are Port tenants (port district)
Region
Southern California
Vendor permit
In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (bay-wide, for hull-cleaning businesses): $250[Port of San Diego][Port of San Diego][Port of San Diego]
Rules last checked
Last verified

Rules for service providers

Before your first job here, line up:

  1. In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (bay-wide, for hull-cleaning businesses): $250.
  2. If you clean hulls: No business may clean hulls in the water without a Port In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (District Code §4.14, Ordinance 3025, 2021).
  3. Apply: Email the Port's hull-cleaning program at hullcleaning@portofsandiego.org; the Port says appointments are required for any permit transaction.
Permit or registration

In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (bay-wide, for hull-cleaning businesses): $250

Renewal: Per the expiration date on the permit. The Port's permit list (effective 10/5/2026) says it is honoring all active permits and there is no need to renew at this time.

Staff: One permit per business; the permittee is responsible for every person working under it, and the Port lists each business's authorized divers.

[1][2][3]

The Port says it is “currently reviewing and seeking to update existing policies related to in-water hull cleaning.” Re-check before relying on it.

Last verified

Hull cleaning and paint work
  • No business may clean hulls in the water without a Port In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (District Code §4.14, Ordinance 3025, 2021).
  • Marinas, mooring companies and yacht clubs must see proof of a valid permit before any in-water hull cleaning, keep copies for 90 days after the permit expires, and notify the Port within one business day if they find unpermitted cleaning.
  • Cleaning must follow industry best management practices (BMPs), and cleaning that leaves a visible paint plume or cloud is prohibited.
  • Each permitted business files a BMP Plan Verification & Training Form listing the divers it has trained.
  • Zinc anode changes and underwater work on shafts, running gear and through-hulls are not “in-water hull cleaning” under the ordinance.
[2][4]

Last verified

How to apply

Email the Port's hull-cleaning program at hullcleaning@portofsandiego.org; the Port says appointments are required for any permit transaction.

[1]

Last verified

Rules for boat owners

Slip fees

The Port does not set slip rates; each marina does. Example: Kona Kai Marina publishes month-to-month permanent slips from $32/ft (30 ft) to $70/ft (100 ft), with no effective date, and lists liveaboard at $600/month.

[5]

Last verified

Copper paint and hull cleaning

If you hire someone to clean your hull in San Diego Bay, they need the Port's In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit, and your marina is required to check it. The Port encourages boaters to consider converting to alternative (non-copper) hull paints.

[2][6]

Last verified

Pump-out

The Port lists eight public pump-out stations around the bay. All are free except Safe Harbor Marina Sunroad (free for members, $25 for the public). The Shelter Island Harbor Police / transient docks station at 1401 Shelter Island Dr. is open 24 hours.

[7]

Last verified

Hiring someone to work on your boat here

Based on what the harbor requires of vendors, ask your provider for:

  • Their In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit (bay-wide, for hull-cleaning businesses) (current, not expired).
  • For hull cleaning: proof of the BMP training or permit this harbor requires.

Marinas these rules cover

Private marinas and yacht clubs inside a public harbor can add their own vendor rules on top of the harbor's. Ask the marina office too.

What we looked for and didn't find

  • Vendor insurance minimums: neither the ordinance nor the program page sets any.
  • Rules for vendors other than hull cleaners (detailers, mechanics): set by each marina; none published by the Port.
  • Marina-specific vendor rules for Shelter Island Marina and Half Moon Anchorage.

“Not found” means it isn't in the public pages we read, not that no rule exists.

Next steps

Sources

  1. Port of San Diego. Copper Reduction Program (In-Water Hull Cleaning Permit). Accessed November 11, 2026
  2. Port of San Diego. Ordinance 3025, amending Unified Port District Code §4.14 (in-water hull cleaning) (October 12, 2021). Accessed November 11, 2026
  3. Port of San Diego. List of Permitted Hull Cleaning Businesses (effective 10/5/2026) (October 5, 2026). Accessed November 11, 2026
  4. Port of San Diego. In-Water Hull Cleaning BMP Plan Verification & Training Form. Accessed November 11, 2026
  5. Kona Kai Marina. Slip rates. Accessed November 11, 2026
  6. Port of San Diego. Alternative Hull Paints. Accessed November 11, 2026
  7. Port of San Diego. Sanitary Stations and Fuel Docks. Accessed November 11, 2026