The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Marine Patrol (AMP) Division's mission is to enhance safety and promote responsible use of resources on Alabama's waterways through enforcement, education, and community activities.
The AMP Division patrols Alabama’s public waterways, oversees the registration of all pleasure boats and the licensing of all boat operators, and operates a statewide education program. The State's regulatory waterway marking program, presently overseeing 1,518 hazard and control markers/zones, is also administered by the AMP Division.
ALEA's Marine Patrol Division consists of three districts that divide the state: Northern District, Central District, and Southern District. The Northern District covers 27 counties with major waterways along the Tennessee, Coosa, and Black Warrior Rivers, and numerous smaller rivers and lakes. The Central District covers 32 counties with major waterways along the Coosa, Tallapoosa, Alabama, Tombigbee, and Chattahoochee Rivers, and numerous smaller rivers and lakes. The Southern District covers eight counties with major waterways along the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers, Mobile Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and numerous smaller rivers and lakes.
With Alabama's favorable weather conditions and abundant waterways, boating is a popular activity across the state. Over one million boaters enjoy Alabama's one million acres of lakes, 1,600 miles of rivers, and 53 miles of coastline each year.
