(DoD) The zone of the ocean extending 3-12 nms from the US coastline.
(DoD) A maritime zone adjacent to the territorial sea that may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles (nms) from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Within the contiguous zone the coastal state may exercise the control necessary to prevent and punish infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea. In all other respects the contiguous zone is an area subject to high seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and related freedoms, such as the conduct of military exercises.
(DoD) A maritime zone adjacent to the territorial sea that may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles (nms) from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Within the contiguous zone the coastal state may exercise the control necessary to prevent and punish infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea. In all other respects the contiguous zone is an area subject to high seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and related freedoms, such as the conduct of military exercises.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). contiguous zone. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/contiguous_zone/definitions/1961009 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "contiguous zone" http://smartdefine.org/contiguous_zone/definitions/1961009 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, contiguous zone, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/contiguous_zone/definitions/1961009>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "contiguous zone" 4 April 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/contiguous_zone/definitions/1961009> |