Coast Guard emphasizes safety and permitting requirements for organized events in Chicago

CHICAGO — Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago is reminding event organizers, sponsors and the boating public about marine event permit requirements.

The Coast Guard's marine event permitting process is a regulatory mechanism designed to promote safety of life on navigable waters and ensure that organized water activities coexist safely with commercial and recreational traffic on navigable waterways, including Chicago’s Anchorage C, locally known as the Playpen.

While the Playpen attracts large crowds of recreational boaters, this partially enclosed area of Lake Michigan remains a shared navigable waterway vital to commercial vessel traffic. In recent years, a surge in large-scale, sponsored boat parties has raised safety concerns. During these events, extensive vessel tie-ups can create unsafe conditions on the waterway, compounding inherent risks such as excessive alcohol consumption, overloaded vessels and operator inexperience, while potentially obstructing commercial passenger vessel routes. Because these parties are organized, promoted and conducted at a scale beyond ordinary recreational boating, they meet the definition of marine events under 33 CFR § 100.05 and warrant additional safety measures.

“Our goal is not to impede fun on the water, but to ensure everyone returns home safely at the end of the day,” said Cmdr. T.J. Bigay, commanding officer, MSU Chicago. “Marine event permitting isn't about creating administrative hurdles; it's about establishing a proven safety framework so that a fun day on the water does not end in tragedy.”

Submitting a permit application early allows the Coast Guard to coordinate interagency awareness with local law enforcement and first responders, issue broadcasts to keep the public informed, and deconflict event areas with commercial vessel transit routes. The process ensures compliance with safety regulations and positions emergency response assets to act if an incident occurs.

Key considerations for event organizers:

• When is a permit required? Any individual or organization planning to hold a regatta, marine parade or sponsored gatherings that introduce extra or unusual hazards to the safety of life on navigable waters must submit an application to the Coast Guard. (33 CFR § 100.15)
• Submission deadlines: Applications must be submitted at least 135 days in advance for new events. For recurring events where details remain identical to the previous year, the application should be submitted 60 days in advance.
• How to apply: The CG-4423 form can be found on the Coast Guard’s Navigation Center Website. When filling out the form, select “MSU Chicago” as the Sector in block 3a for events in the Chicago area.
• Safety plans: The event sponsor is ultimately responsible for the safe conduct of an event. As such, the event sponsor must provide details of all safety measures being employed for the event. Event sponsors can demonstrate a commitment to safety by having an acceptable safety record for previous events and implementing appropriate measures, such as a detailed safety plan, schedule, a chart showing the boundaries and areas for participant and spectator craft, and information on the number of patrol boats and observers dedicated solely to safety. Event sponsors are responsible for providing all necessary patrol boats to ensure the safety of the event.
• Waterway access and free public use: Although regulatory tools such as safety zones or special local regulations are implemented to ensure the safety of an on-water event, permitting does not restrict individual access to the rest of the waterway for routine commercial or recreational use. Importantly, as part of the marine event process, the Coast Guard does not require payment, the purchase of tickets, event flags, or wristbands for the public to access navigable waters or to comply with Coast Guard safety regulations.

For more information about the Coast Guard’s marine event permitting process, please contact Cmdr. T.J. Bigay at Theresa.J.Bigay@uscg.mil or 630-986-2155.

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