Rules, times and costs for life on the water, stated as the City and the operators named in each card publish them. Figures were read on 2026-10-29.
Harbor Rules
- The entire harbor is a no-wake zone; maximum speed is 5 mph from the harbor entrance throughout.
- Newport Harbor is a no-discharge zone: nothing but clean water — no sewage or grey water — may be discharged into the harbor or within 3 miles offshore.
- No dumping of trash; no unreasonable noise from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; sea lions may be deterred only by approved methods.
- The rules are codified in Newport Beach Municipal Code Title 17, the Harbor Code.
- Stand-up paddleboards are legally vessels: life jacket, whistle and light required, per The Log’s harbor guide.
City Harbor Rules and Regulations ↗
Harbor Department
The Harbor Department is at Marina Park, 1600 W. Balboa Blvd, Newport Beach 92663. Staff are available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; VHF Channel 17; phone 949-270-8159.
The Department manages the Marina Park guest marina, the anchorages, the mooring fields, guest slips and live-aboard permits. Mooring assignments are not handled after hours; visiting vessels check in with the Harbor Department at 8 a.m. for assignments.
City Visiting Vessels ↗
Moorings — Rules and Assignment
No mooring may be placed or used without a City permit. Mooring locations are allocated by Harbor Department staff and inspected before installation. Permittees may not lease or rent their mooring to another person. The City also runs a Mooring License program, renting City-owned onshore and offshore moorings to qualified tenants.
| Offshore mooring permit rent — 2025 rate | $3.41 per lineal foot per month |
| Same rate stated annually | $40.97 per lineal foot annually |
The rate is adjusted annually by CPI.
City Mooring Permittees and Licensees ↗
Guest Moorings, Anchorage and Guest Slips
Figures are from the City Harbor Fees page headed “Fees starting July 1, 2026,” read on 2026-10-29.
| Guest Mooring — onshore | $0.76 / lineal ft / night |
| Guest Mooring — offshore | $1.53 / lineal ft / night |
| Guest Mooring — offshore large vessel, 80 ft+ | $1.89 / lineal ft / night |
| Guest Mooring — offshore multihull, 2 hulls | $1.82 / lineal ft / night |
| Guest Mooring — offshore multihull, 3 hulls | $2.13 / lineal ft / night |
| Guest Anchorage — large vessel on non-City tackle | $0.57 / ft / night |
| Dinghy storage | $0.76 / ft / night |
| Mooring size exchange | $320 |
Guest moorings are arranged through the City Harbor Department, (949) 270-8159.
Harbor Patrol guest slips: five slips near the OC Sheriff Harbor Patrol offices, first come, first served, rented in person only; bring current registration or documentation and photo ID. Vessels to 40 feet; $40.00 nightly. From November through April, guest-slip renters are required to sleep aboard due to possible adverse weather. Visitors may temporarily dock at the pump-out dock or in an open guest slip.
City Harbor Fees ↗ · Harbor Patrol — Newport Harbor ↗
Marina Park Guest Slips
| 40 ft slip | $96/night |
| 55 ft slip | $133/night |
| Overhang charge | $2.44/ft/night |
| Deposit | $50 against the stay |
| Cancellation | $18 with 72+ hours’ notice |
| Electricity | $20 + actual kWh |
| Dinghy rack rental | $41/month |
| Key card replacement | $18 |
With less than 72 hours’ notice, the deposit is forfeited. Marina Park slip tenants have restrooms, showers, laundry and Wi-Fi included, per The Log, quoting the Harbormaster.
City Harbor Fees ↗
Permits and Waitlists
| Live-aboard permit | $469/year |
| Mooring license application | $27 |
| Waitlist — Balboa Yacht Basin slips | $35 |
| Waitlist — dinghy racks | $35 |
| Waitlist — live-aboard | $31 |
| Waitlist — mooring license | $35 |
The City fee page governs where a secondary source differed.
City Harbor Fees ↗
Anchorages
There are two designated anchorages: between the east end of Lido Isle and Bay Island, and between the west end of Lido Isle and Lido Marina Village. Anchoring is prohibited in channels and mooring fields.
Public Launch Ramp
Trailered vessels launch at Newport Dunes Aquatic Park, 1131 Back Bay Dr, Newport Beach — the harbor’s only public launch ramp. Information: (949) 729-3863. Facility hours are 6 a.m.–9 p.m. per the state DBW listing. Vessels launch into Upper Newport Bay; travel time to the breakwater is about 40 minutes at the harbor’s 5 mph no-wake limit.
| October–April · Monday–Thursday | $10 |
| October–April · Friday–Sunday | $15 |
| May–September · Monday–Thursday | $15 |
| May–September · Friday–Sunday | $20 |
Harbor Patrol — Newport Harbor ↗ · California DBW facility listing ↗
Fuel Docks
Two fuel docks sit near the Balboa Ferry crossing. Hill’s Boat Service, on the Balboa Peninsula (VHF Channel 17), is reported by The Log as open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offering mobile fueling via its “Tanker II.” Island Marine Fuel, on Balboa Island, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. per The Log.
Fuel prices are not published by either operator — rates not published — on request.
Pumpout Stations
Newport Harbor has 10 public pump-out stations, per The Log. The City’s published pumpout map shows public stations at the Harbor Patrol dock, Bayside Marina, Balboa Yacht Basin, the Newport Dunes launch ramp, Balboa Bay Club, Harbor Marina and Lido Village Marina, and at the 15th Street, Fernando Street and Washington Street public docks, with additional private stations at marinas around the harbor. The Harbor Patrol page confirms visitors may temporarily dock at the pump-out dock.
City pumpout map ↗ · Harbor Patrol — Newport Harbor ↗
