引水人管理規則

These regulations (hereinafter referred to as “the Regulations”) have been stipulated pursuant to Article 42 of the Pilotage Law (hereinafter referred to as “the Law”).

1Pilots serving in each pilotage district must organize a pilot office to manage the procedures for requesting pilotage services.

2Each pilot office shall draw working rules for its member pilots to follow; the rules shall be enforced after being approved by the shipping administration authority. The same shall apply to any amendments.

3Pilot offices shall be placed under the supervision of the shipping administration authority. In the event of a severe maritime incident or when deemed necessary, the shipping administration authority may require any pilot office to review the regulations in the preceding paragraph.

Any pilot office shall provide the duty book in its office for each shift of member pilots to go on duty by turn by day accordingly; the name list of the pilots on duty in turn each day shall be filed with the shipping administration authority.

All pilot offices shall provide topographic maps covering individual pilotage districts, tide tables, as well information of instruments and devices relating to navigation and the Pilotage Law for member pilots' reference.

The pilot boats exclusively used for pilotage services should be provided by the pilot offices, which may apply to the competent telecommunication authority for setting up radio stations for use to provide pilotage services.

Pilot offices that do not provide pilot boats may lease appropriate boats as substitutes; in such instances, the provisions of Article 9 of the Law shall be applied accordingly, with appropriate adjustments, and such boats shall exhibit the relevant identification marks.

Pilot offices, if they are unable to acquire or lease pilot boats, may report to the shipping administration authority requesting for assistance.

1All expenses for various facilities in the pilot office shall be borne by each member pilot in proportion to his/her revenue from pilotage services.

2The shipping administration authority may, as it deems necessary, request the pilot offices to improve their facilities used for piloting vessels and the pilotage services rendered within a specific period of time.

3Pilot offices shall submit annual accounts of equipment and funds at the end of each year to the shipping administration authority for auditing and inspection.

Boats exclusively used for pilotage services and navigating within a designated pilotage district may be exempted from processing the formalities of port entry and exit.

1Following successful completion of the pilot examination and after receiving a qualification certificate, individuals must obtain a Pilot License from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC). Subsequently, they must register with the shipping administration authority. Only upon receiving the Certificate of Registry are they authorized to provide pilotage services.

2The pilot office shall, according to the number of pilots designated by the shipping administration authority, fill in the vacancies in sequence with the pilots who hold the Certificate of Registry mentioned in the previous paragraph to perform pilotage services.

1Pilots are classified into two categories as follows:

2I. A “Class A Pilot” refers to an individual who may pilot a vessel of the tonnage prescribed in Article 13 in a port and its coast.

3II. A “Class B Pilot” refers to an individual who may pilot a vessel of the tonnage prescribed in Article 14 in inland rivers and lakes.

1Pilots should provide the following documents (as Attachment 1) when submitting an application to the MOTC for a Pilot License:

2I. Application form (the format is shown in Attachment 2).

3II. Original copy of the special examination qualification certificate for pilots issued by the Examination Yuan.

4III. Physical examination certificate issued by a public hospital or teaching hospital within the last three months.

5IV. Two 2-inch front-facing photos without hats taken within the past three months.

6V. Application fee of NT$2,000.

7Applications submitted to the MOTC for Pilot License replacement shall enclose the following documents:

8I. Application form (the format is shown in Attachment 2).

9II. Copy of the special examination qualification certificate for pilots issued by the Examination Yuan.

1Any individual who acquires a Class A Pilot License is limited to pilot vessels of under 15,000 gross tonnage in a port and its coast, unless approved by the shipping administration authority.

2Pilots that meet the conditions of the previous paragraph, who possess two years of piloting experience, and have not experienced license suspension pursuant to the Law, are authorized to pilot vessels exceeding 15,000 of gross tonnage.

3If a pilot has had its license suspended, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the years of suspension shall be deducted from his/her term of service.

1Any person who acquires a Class B Pilot License is limited to pilot in inland rivers and lakes for the vessels of under 3,000 gross tonnage, unless approved by the shipping administration authority.

2Pilots that meet the conditions of the previous paragraph, who possess two years of piloting experience, and have not experienced license suspension pursuant to the Law, are authorized to pilot vessels exceeding 3,000 of gross tonnage.

3If a pilot has had its license suspended, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the years of suspension shall be deducted from his/her term of service.

The validity of the Pilot License shall not exceed five years. An application for license replacement shall be made upon expiration of such license, with the existing license to be surrendered for revocation.

1Pilots shall apply to the shipping administration authority for issuance of the Certificate of Registry by enclosing the following documents and certificates:

2I. Application form.

3II. Pilot License.

4III. Five photographs.

5IV. Application fee of NT$2,000.

6The validity of the Certificate of Registry in the previous paragraph will be the same as for the Pilot License. The format of such certificate shall be prescribed by the shipping administration authority and submitted for approval to the MOTC.

7Pilots shall apply to the shipping administration authority for replacement of the Certificate of Registry by enclosing the following documents and certificates:

8I. Application form.

9II. Pilot License.

10

If a pilot is hired as a long-term pilot by a vessel navigating in a compulsory pilotage district, with the approval of the shipping administration authority, the Certificate of Registry shall mark the name of the company piloting the vessel, as well as the navigation area or sailing routes.

1The shipping administration authority shall issue the Certificate of Registry according to the sequence of the successful candidate pilots listed in the publicly announced roll of the pilot screening examination.

2Pilots who have registered but have not yet received their Certificate of Registry due to a full quota will be issued certificates in the order of their original registration as vacancies become available.

Pilots who take physical check-ups pursuant to Article 23 of the Law within the service period shall report to the shipping administration authority, so that it may add the relevant remark in his/her Certificate of Registry for follow-up.

If there are changes on the Certificate of Registry, the pilot must apply to the MOTC and the shipping administration authority for replacement of their Pilot License and Certificate of Registry within twenty days of the change, submitting all relevant documents.

Pilots must apply for replacement or reissuance of their Pilot License or Certificate of Registry if it is lost, damaged, or so defaced that it becomes unreadable.

Pilots whose Pilot License or Certificate of Registry is revoked, annulled, or suspended must surrender these documents to the MOTC and the shipping administration authority, respectively, without any excuse to refuse.

Upon retirement of a pilot, the pilot office shall be responsible for surrendering his/her Pilot License and Certificate of Registry to the authority which issues such license and certificate, respectively, for deletion.

Apprentice pilots must accompany and observe licensed pilots during pilotage operations. They are prohibited from independently providing pilotage services.

A Republic of China (R.O.C.) national who succeeds in the examination for Class A Pilots may apply to become an apprentice pilot in ports and their coasts.

A R.O.C. national who succeeds in the examination for Class B Pilots may apply to become an apprentice pilot in inland rivers and lakes.

Those who meet the criteria indicated in any of the requirements prescribed in Article 13 of the Law shall not become an apprentice pilot.

Any apprentice pilot shall show respect to the guidance of the pilot and the commanding right of the master of vessel.

An apprentice pilot shall apprentice piloting for at least three months.

Upon completion of the pilot apprenticeship, the pilot office shall prepare and submit a confidential performance evaluation of the apprentice pilot to the MOTC. The MOTC will then forward this evaluation to the Ministry of Examination.

All pilots must arrive at the pilot office punctually as per the duty book schedule and remain available for service assignments.

1Pilots shall undergo daily pre-duty alcohol concentration tests and maintain accurate records of the results.

2The alcohol meter used for alcohol concentration tests mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall comply with the national standards of the R.O.C. as announced by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

3If the alcohol concentration test result of the pilot, as mentioned in Paragraph 1, exceeds zero milligrams per liter in his/her breath, the pilot will be deemed unfit for duty and prohibited from providing pilotage services.

4The alcohol concentration test record mentioned in Paragraph 1 shall be submitted to the relevant pilot office and kept for at least one year. Pilot offices shall submit the alcohol testing records of the previous quarter to the shipping administration authority for reference in January, April, July, and October of each year.

5The shipping administration authority may conduct random alcohol concentration tests on pilots. Pilots are not permitted to avoid, obstruct, or refuse such testing.

When performing pilotage services, the pilot shall carry his/her Pilot License and relevant certificates for inspection by the personnel of the shipping administration authority.

Pilots shall perform pilotage services in accordance with the Pilotage Procedures and Precautions (as shown in Attachment 3).

1Upon fulfilling pilotage services, the pilot shall fill in the Pilot Record with the vessel name, nationality, draft, boarding place and time, duration of detention at the quarantine station or other points, the layover time and the services rendered. The record sheets shall be certified by the master and bound together into a volume to be submitted for inspection, and shall be signed by the shipping administration authority for reference for performance evaluations.

2The format of the Pilotage Record shall be drawn by pilot offices and approved by the shipping administration authority.

Any pilot piloting a vessel, entering and departing from a port, shall moor the vessel at the pier or anchorage assigned by the port authority; however, if required by an extraordinary circumstance, a request may be made upon the vessel entering the port to the port authority for designating a place for mooring.

The pilot may request to replace any tugboat or mooring worker assisting in the operations of piloting, berthing, and departure of a vessel if such a tugboat or worker is intentionally uncooperative and does not follow the instructions of the pilot. Such request shall require a statement of facts to be sent to the shipping administration authority for investigation and disposition.

The shipping administration authority may prescribe, depending upon the situation of the local water area, to require that any special vessel or any vessel exceeding a specific tonnage and length shall hire at least two pilots; however, these pilots shall join together to coordinate the piloting without boarding the vessel in different times.

Without consent of the master of a vessel, any pilot performing pilotage services is not allowed to leave the vessel before fulfilling his/her duty.

1The shipping administration authority may conduct inspections of pilotage services as required for operational purposes. Pilots are not permitted to avoid, obstruct, or refuse such inspections without justifiable reasons.

2The shipping administration authority may, together with the pilot offices, handle the annual supervision and assessment of pilots.

1While performing their duties, pilots shall receive on-the-job training from the shipping administration authority at least once a year, and must pass the relevant examination and obtain a passing certificate.

2When conducting on-the-job training as outlined in the preceding paragraph, the shipping administration authority shall consider relevant international conventions and agreements, the evolving needs of the shipping industry, the unique environmental characteristics of each pilot district, and the lessons learned from significant domestic and international maritime incidents in the development of the training program. The number of training hours per year shall be at least eight hours.

1Pilots whose Pilot Licenses are revoked must attend a 16-hour training course during the suspension period. These courses must be conducted by domestic and foreign shipping administration authorities or by training institutions (organizations) entrusted or certified by them, maritime institutes, or pilot offices. Additionally, pilots must pass a pilotage accident maneuvering simulation test and submit their training and maneuvering simulation test qualification certificates to the shipping administration authority for approval before resuming their duties.

2Upon resuming duties, pilots are restricted from piloting vessels with a gross tonnage of less than 15,000 for at least three months. During this period, the pilot office must assign a pilot with over five years of experience or the most senior pilot to assist in piloting at least 12 vessels.

3Pilots who have completed the restriction period outlined in the previous paragraph without receiving a warning may pilot vessels with a gross tonnage of more than 15,000.

If a pilot finds that the owner or master of a vessel in the designated pilotage district hires an unqualified pilot performing pilotage services, he/she may immediately report this to the shipping administration authority requesting to disemploy such unqualified pilot by order and fill his/her place with a qualified pilot.

Any pilot who finds a signal signifying the requirement for a port patrol boat in the course of piloting shall report the same immediately via radio to the shipping administration authority or the port authority.

Any pilot who finds a vessel flying a distress signal in the course of piloting shall ask the master of the vessel to rescue such vessel immediately as long as such operation does not jeopardize his/her vessel, crew, and passengers. The pilot shall also report such event through the most expedient means to the relevant authority a salvage boat to rescue such vessel.

Any pilot who finds any vessel in distress shall take actions pursuant to the provisions of Article 31 of the Law and, in addition, shall describe in detail the vessel's position, draft, and the causes of the disaster as far as he/she knows.

In case a port patrol boat approaches and intends to board the vessel under his/her piloting, the pilot on board shall take cooperative measures or stop the navigation of the vessel.

Any confidential information involving national defense and military in pilotage districts shall be absolutely safeguarded and not be disclosed by any pilot. Whoever violates the regulations herein shall be punished by law.

All pilots must comply with assignments from the shipping administration authority in times of war. No person shall leave his/her post without prior permission. Whoever violates the provisions herein shall be punished by law.

The fees payable to the pilot for his/her services rendered to a vessel shall be charged in accordance with the tariff specified for each pilotage district. The pilot may request the owner or master of the vessel to clear off all such fees upon completion of pilotage services.

1The term "negligence in performing duties" as mentioned in Paragraph 1, Paragraph 1, Article 38 of the Law refers to one of the following circumstances:

2I. Violating the provisions of Article 3, failing to follow the duty book schedule and to remain available for service assignments.

3II. Failure to conduct alcohol concentration testing as outlined in Paragraph 1, Article 32, and falsifying alcohol test results.

4III. Performing pilotage services while under the influence of alcohol, as defined by an alcohol concentration test exceeding zero milligrams per liter, in contravention of Paragraph 3, Article 32.

5IV. Avoiding, obstructing or refusing to take a random alcohol concentration random conducted by the shipping administration authority in accordance with Paragraph 5, Article 32, or the random test result exceeding zero milligrams per liter.

6V. Failing to perform pilotage services in accordance with the Pilotage Procedures and Precautions stipulated in Article 34.

7VI. Damages to life, body, or property resulting from the pilot's intentional or negligent actions.

1The Regulations shall be implemented as of the date of promulgation.

2Article 32 of the Regulations was revised and promulgated on December 18, 2024, and will come into effect six months from the date of promulgation; Paragraph 2, Subparagraph 6 of Article 12, Paragraph 1 of Article 41, and Paragraph 1 of Article 42 shall come into effect one year from the date of promulgation.