Naval militia

A naval militia in the United States is a reserve military organization administered under the authority of a state government. It is often composed of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard reservists, retirees and volunteers. They are distinguishable from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, which is a federally chartered component of the U.S. Coast Guard and falls under the command of the Commandant of the Coast Guard through the Chief Director of the Auxiliary, and the United States Maritime Service and United States Merchant Marine both of which are federal maritime services.

Under Title 10 of the United States Code, naval militias are treated differently from maritime state defense force units not primarily composed of reservists from the sea services. Naval militias are considered parts of the organized militia under federal law and thus members have a slightly different status. Naval militias, though they are state armed forces, may receive federal supplies and use Navy or Marine Corps facilities available to Naval Reserve or Marine Corps Reserve units subject to certain restrictions.

Seamen and state marines belonging to naval militias may be enlisted or commissioned into the federal sea services at the rank they are qualified for, provided the service secretary agrees.

Active

 * New York Naval Militia
 * Ohio Naval Militia
 * South Carolina Naval Militia
 * Texas Maritime Regiment
 * Virginia Riverine Detachment
 * Alaska Naval Militia

Authorized by statute but inactive

 * California
 * The California Naval Militia was reactivated in 1976 by the Governor of California. Unlike New York and the few other states with ship-borne active naval militia units, the California Naval Militia is a small unit of military lawyers and strategists who provide advice and legal expertise in the field of military and naval matters for the benefit of California's state defense force.
 * Connecticut
 * Georgia
 * Hawaii
 * Illinois Naval Militia
 * Maryland
 * New Jersey
 * North Carolina