United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

What United States Coast Guard Auxiliary does

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is a uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard, established by Congress in 1939 under Title 14 of the U.S. Code and operating under the direct authority of the Department of Homeland Security via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. It is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with a footprint spanning all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam, organized into 16 districts and over 1,000 local flotillas.

The Auxiliary's core offerings center on recreational boating safety: it delivers Boating Safety Education Courses (including Boat America, Boating Skills & Seamanship, and the Spanish-language Navegando América) through both classroom and the Moodle-based AUX Online Classroom, and conducts free Vessel Safety Checks at boat locations via certified volunteer examiners. Supporting internal infrastructure includes AUXdata II for member data and operations management. Members augment active-duty Coast Guard capabilities across safety and security patrols, search and rescue, mass casualty and disaster response, pollution response, and homeland security support.

The Auxiliary does not generate commercial revenue. Vessel Safety Checks are provided free of charge, and boating education course fees are set at the flotilla level. Its funding flows from federal appropriations routed through the Coast Guard, and its value proposition rests on a statutorily granted monopoly over civilian augmentation of the Coast Guard. Recent activity has centered on compliance-driven restructuring under Executive Orders 14151 and 14168, including the elimination of DEI program elements and replacement of 'gender' with 'sex' across websites and forms.

Name

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Legal name

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Website

https://cgaux.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is a federally chartered volunteer civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard that augments active-duty missions and delivers free recreational boating safety education and vessel safety checks across all 50 states and U.S. territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Safety Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime Safety Management Systems & Training (ISM/ISO 45001, Drills, Competency) (TLAHANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Harbor & Coastal Patrol / Waterborne Security (BPAKALAC), Search & Rescue (SAR) & Lifeboats (IMAJADAI), Naval Training, Simulation & Shore-Based Support Systems (IMABAKAO)

Keywords

• Recreational boating safety
• Boating safety education
• Vessel safety checks
• Maritime volunteer support
• Coast guard auxiliary

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis, Missouri

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is a uniformed volunteer civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard that delivers recreational boating safety education (in-person and online), conducts free Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) at boats, and provides trained volunteer crews, facilities, and operational support to augment Coast Guard missions including safety and security patrols, search and rescue, pollution response, and homeland security.

Product overview

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary operates as a uniformed volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard, offering a portfolio of public safety and education services centered on recreational boating safety. The core offerings include Boating Safety Education Courses (delivered via AUX Online Classroom and classroom settings) covering courses such as Boat America, Boating Skills & Seamanship, and Navegando América; Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) performed by certified volunteer examiners at no charge; and a Public Education Course Finder tool. Supporting infrastructure includes AUXdata II for internal member data management. The organization supports Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, safety patrols, pollution response, and homeland security through trained volunteer crews and facilities across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boating Safety Education Courses Comprehensive boating instruction delivered in virtual and classroom modalities by trained CGAUX instructors, covering all skill levels from novice to advanced.
• Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) Free safety inspections performed at boats by certified volunteer examiners, verifying compliance with Federal and State boating laws and awarding a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary decal upon passing.
• Boat America Course 8-hour boating certificate class providing in-depth knowledge needed to obtain a boating certificate; some insurance companies offer discounts for completion.
• Boating Skills & Seamanship (BS&S) Comprehensive course for experienced and novice boaters covering eight core two-hour lessons plus five elective lessons on handling boats under all conditions.
• Navegando América Spanish-language 8-hour course for small boat operators, fishermen, and PWC operators, approved by NASBLA, providing course completion certificate and potential insurance discounts.
• AUX Online Classroom Distance learning platform offering virtual, real-time boating education courses taught by CGAUX instructors.
• Public Education Course Finder Zip code-based search tool enabling users to locate upcoming boating courses and scheduled classes nationwide.
• VSC Examiner Finder Online request system that locates volunteer vessel examiners within 30 miles of a user's location to schedule free Vessel Safety Checks.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• America's Boating Club (formerly U.S. Power Squadrons): A nonprofit membership organization offering boating safety education, including NASBLA-approved courses, with local squadrons nationwide. Directly comparable as a peer provider of recreational boating education and certified instruction.
• Civil Air Patrol: The U.S. Air Force Auxiliary is the closest organizational analog: a Congressionally chartered, uniformed volunteer civilian component that augments a uniformed service across search and rescue, disaster response, and aerospace education. The missions, governance model, and member structure are directly comparable to the USCG Auxiliary.
• BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water: A nonprofit that delivers free boating safety courses and clean-water initiatives to recreational boaters across the U.S. Directly comparable as a peer in recreational boating safety education and outreach.

Broad incumbents

• United States Coast Guard: Parent organization and the federal agency the Auxiliary augments. Comparable because the Auxiliary's mission set (SAR, maritime patrols, safety inspections, homeland security support) is operationally an extension of USCG functions; the relationship is direct supervisory, not competitive.
• National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA): A national nonprofit that sets standards for boating safety education and approves courses. Comparable as a stakeholder in the recreational boating safety ecosystem, but functions as a standards body rather than a direct course provider.

Regional players

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): A UK-based charity operating volunteer lifeboat crews and water safety education. Comparable as a volunteer-driven maritime safety and SAR organization, but serves a different geography and institutional context.
• Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary: A volunteer civilian organization augmenting the Canadian Coast Guard with marine search and rescue and maritime safety missions. Highly comparable in mission and structure, but operates in a different national jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Sea Tow Foundation: A nonprofit foundation delivering boating safety education and life jacket loaner programs. Comparable in mission (recreational boating safety outreach) and target audience, but smaller in operational footprint than the Auxiliary.

Others

• United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps: A federally chartered youth program that introduces young Americans to naval and maritime careers, including seamanship and maritime safety training. Comparable as a federally supported maritime education and training youth organization, though with a different target demographic.
• U.S. Army Reserve / Army Civilian Aides: Adjacent volunteer/civilian augmentation models for uniformed services. Thematically comparable as institutional patterns for civilian augmentation of federal uniformed services, though focused on ground force rather than maritime missions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/uscoastguardaux
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP9rmZOGR99HbtFiJazJ0Jw
• Facebookfacebook.com/USCoastGuardAuxiliary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastguardauxiliary

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United States Coast Guard Auxiliary