Coast Guard Station Monterey is primarily involved with maritime law enforcement and search and rescue along California’s Central Coast. The station is home to two 47-foot Motor Lifeboats and one 29-foot response boat. The more than 40-member crew based at the station carries out search and rescue, coastal security, marine environmental protection and maritime law enforcement missions. The Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security.

The Station Monterey crew works closely with numerous federal, state and local partners to include the NOAA, Fish and Wildlife, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and local fire and police departments. Station Monterey also operates a substation in Santa Cruz during peak boating seasons.

Station Monterey is under the operational control of Coast Guard Sector San Francisco. The station’s area of responsibility covers 120 nautical miles of coastline between Point Ano Nuevo (north) and the Monterey-San Luis Obispo County line (south) and extends 50 nautical miles offshore. While there are no breaking bars in the area of responsibility, Station Monterey is a heavy weather, open ocean station. Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey are the only safe havens in the area of responsibility. The southern area of responsibility is remote and particularly treacherous due to the extremely rugged coastline and absence of moorings or shelter.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the nation’s largest marine sanctuary, encompasses 5,000 square miles and covers the entire station area of responsibility. There are about 140 commercial fishing vessels homeported in the area of responsibility, as well as numerous dive and whale-watching boats. Recreational boating, sailing, diving, kayaking, surfing and coastal sightseeing are popular activities in the Monterey Bay region. The station’s customer base is diverse, with many tourists and visitors from the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s Central Valley, along with many international tourists.

From 2013-2014, Coast Guard Station Monterey responded to 106 search-and-rescue cases, saved 36 lives and saved over $1.1 million worth of property.

The NLUS Monterey Peninsula Council adopted Coast Guard Station Monterey, formerly Coast Guard Group Monterey, in 1985.

Station’s Mailing Address

Inquiries can be sent to:

Commanding Officer
Coast Guard Station Monterey
100 Lighthouse Ave.
Monterey, CA 93940

The station officer of the day can be reached 24/7 at 831-647-7300.

THE HISTORY OF THE COAST GUARD STATION AT MONTEREY

Coast Guard Station Monterey was established in January 1946 as a group command, providing support to five lighthouses, one station, two substations and three patrol boats. As a result of Coast Guard modernization efforts, Group Monterey was converted back into a small boat station and a seasonal subunit in Santa Cruz in September 1996.