General Orders and Regulations

Starfleet General Orders and Regulations are a series of guidelines used to instruct members of Starfleet on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that requires consultation for a resolution.

These guidelines are especially useful in situations where flag officers cannot be consulted to resolve a situation. (VOY: "Equinox")

Several of the first one hundred plus Starfleet Orders used by the Federation Starfleet, were in place during the 22nd century, evidently implemented by Earth Starfleet. (ENT: "Hatchery")

Starfleet Charter Articles

• Article 14, Section 31: The exact language has never been cited, but certain lines in this section permit the use of "extraordinary measures" in times of dire emergency.

Federation Regulations

• Book 19, Section 433, Paragraph 12: Regulation concerning the ability of ranking Federation officials to give direct orders to Starfleet officers. Referred to but not cited by High Commissioner Ferris in 2267 during the search for the missing shuttlecraft Galileo. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")

Galactic Emergency Procedures

• Title 15 of these procedures allows ranking Federation officials to assume direct command of Starfleet vessels under certain conditions. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")

General Orders

• General Order 1: "No starship may interfere with the normal development of any alien life or society." (TAS: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu")

General Order 1 is also better known as the Prime Directive. It supersedes all other laws and directives, with the exception of the Omega Directive.

• General Order 4: Said to be the only death penalty left on the books. (TOS: "Turnabout Intruder")

This contradicts General Order 7 below, which is also said to be the only death penalty left. If relations with the Talosians have not changed, it could be this new General Order might have been made to include other planets that might be a threat to the Federation like Talos IV. It is also possible that in "Turnabout Intruder," Chekov misspoke.

According to the CD-ROM game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, the USS Enterprise computer states General Order 4 is sometimes confused with General Order 7.

• General Order 6: If all life aboard a Federation Starship has perished, the ship will self-destruct within twenty-four hours to protect other ships from potential hazards within. (TAS: "Albatross")

This order is contradicted by the episodes TOS: "The Omega Glory", "The Tholian Web", and TNG: "Unnatural Selection".

• General Order 7: No vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV.

This is also said to be the only death penalty left in the United Federation of Planets. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part II")

This order must have been rescinded for General Order 4 which is also the only death penalty left on the books. As noted above, Chekov may have also misspoke in "Turnabout Intruder."

According to the CD-ROM game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, the USS Enterprise computer states General Order 7, and the death penalty associated with it, more generally refers to high treason.

• General Order 12: On the approach of any vessel, when communications have not been established... (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Saavik was interrupted before completing the quotation of the order, but it is implied that the ship is supposed to take a defensive posture when faced with a non-communicative ship.

• General Order 15: No flag officer shall beam into a hazardous area without armed escort. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Kirk stated there was no such regulation, although this was likely intended simply to discourage Saavik.

• General Order 24: This General Order allows a commanding officer to order the destruction of the surface of a planet (including any and all lifeforms thereon) if said planet's inhabitants pose extreme threat to the personnel of Starfleet, and any civilians or personnel of the United Federation of Planets. This order has been given by Captain Garth (Antos IV) and Captain Kirk (Eminiar VII). On neither occasion was the order actually fulfilled. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon", "Whom Gods Destroy")

Garth may have explained the spirit of the order when he suggested he gave the order because, "I could say they were actively hostile towards the Federation".

Starfleet Directives

• Directive 010: "Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made." (VOY: "In the Flesh")
• Directive 101: Any individual accused of murder does not have to answer any questions. (VOY: "Meld")
• Tactical Directive 36: "The captain will not engage a hostile force without the protection of a security officer." (VOY: "Unimatrix Zero")
• Prime Directive
• Omega Directive
• Temporal Prime Directive

Starfleet Orders

• Starfleet Order 2: Starfleet regulation against the taking of intelligent life. (TAS: "One of Our Planets Is Missing")
• Starfleet Order 104: Section B, Paragraph 1-A - In the absence of a starship's assigned captain, a flag officer has the authority to assume command of the starship should he deem it necessary. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
• Starfleet Order 104: Section C - Should it be proven with admissible evidence that the flag officer who has assumed command is medically or psychologically unfit for command, the starship's ranking officer may relieve him on that basis. However, such an action must be supported by an appropriate certification of unfittness by the ship's Chief Medical Officer (requiring the CMO to also produce test results to that effect) or other clear evidence, such as an act of attempted suicide. (ENT: "Hatchery"; TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
• Starfleet Order 2005: Orders the destruction of a starship by allowing matter and antimatter to mix in an uncontrolled manner. This is a last resort for a captain that allows him/her to prevent their ship or crew from falling into enemy hands. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• Special Order 66715: Federation order that states: "[Starfleet has] the authority to neutralize security threats to Deep Space 9 by any means necessary". (DS9: "Inquisition")

This might not actually be a real Order as it appeared only in a simulation created by Luther Sloan. Nevertheless, considering the importance of the keeping the station under Federation control during the Dominion War, may also very well be a real Order.

Starfleet Regulations

Jean-Luc Picard quoting Starfleet Regulation 6.57 to Radue.

• Regulation 3 (Paragraph 12): In the event of imminent destruction, a Starfleet Captain is authorized to preserve the lives of his crew by any justifiable means. (VOY: "Equinox")

Captain Ransom attempted to use this regulation to convince Captain Janeway that the actions he took against the nucleogenic lifeforms were justified, but Captain Janeway doubted that the regulation covered mass murder.

• Regulation 6.57: At least two staff officers to be present during any treaty or contract negotiations. (TNG: "When The Bough Breaks")

Jean-Luc Picard quoted this regulation to Radue of the Aldeans who had kidnapped a group of specially gifted children from the Enterprise in 2364; Radue offered scientific knowledge as compensation. Moments later, when Data admitted not to be familiar with the regulation, Picard revealed that it was in fact non-existent. It was merely something he made up on the spot in order to deceive the Aldeans to allow him to bring Beverly Crusher with him to their planet's surface.

• Regulation 7 (Paragraph 4): An officer must consider himself under arrest, unless in the presence of the most senior fellow officers presently available, the officers must give satisfactory answer to those charges... (TOS: "The Omega Glory")
• Regulation 12 (Chapter 4): Relates to the Captain undertaking command of an away mission.

During the Best Man Speech Picard states that Data will never let him undertake an away mission, Data is told to shut up by Picard before he can complete reciting the regulation. (Star Trek Nemesis)

• Regulation 42/15: "Pressure Variances in IRC Tank Storage" Part of the basic operational specifications for impulse engines, cited by Geordi La Forge. Written by Montgomery Scott, who told him to ignore it, saying: "A good engineer is always a wee bit conservative... at least on paper." (TNG: "Relics")
• Regulation 46A: If transmissions are being monitored during battle, no uncoded messages on an open channel. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
• Regulation 157, Section 3 (Paragraph 18): Starfleet officers shall take all necessary precautions to minimize any participation in historical events. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")
• Regulation 191 (Article 14): In a combat situation involving more than one ship, command falls to the vessel with tactical superiority. (VOY: "Equinox")
• Regulation 476.9: All away teams must report to the bridge at least once every 24 hours. (VOY: "Once Upon a Time")
• Regulation 2884.3: Substances unstable in an oxygen atmosphere must be handled with care. (TNG: "Night Terrors")
• Regulation 3287.0: Due to its high volatile nature, antimatter must be stored in magnetic confinement pods. (TNG: "Night Terrors")
• Procedure Q: If a state of deep hostility exists, a landing party is to beam down fully armed and ready for any kind of trouble. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")
• Reserve activation clause: A "little known" and "seldom used" clause in Starfleet regulations which allows for the recall of a retired or discharged officer in the event of an emergency. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
• The Starfleet uniform code governed the proper wearing of the uniform by Starfleet officers.

Starfleet Away Team Guidelines

• Medical Emergency on Alien Terrain: "It is recommended to keep an open com-channel at all times." (VOY: "Macrocosm")
• "Specifically forbid the transport of unknown infectious agents onto a starship without establishing containment and eradication protocols." (VOY: "Macrocosm")
• Captain leading Away Teams: Starfleet Code Section 12, Paragraph 4 (Star Trek Nemesis)
• Starfleet Regulation #476.9: "All Away Teams must report to the Bridge at least once every 24 hours." (VOY: "Once Upon a Time")

Starfleet Security Protocols

• Protocol 28 (Subsection D): "In the event of hostile alien takeover the EMH is to deactivate and wait for rescue." (VOY: "Message in a Bottle")

Starfleet Safety Protocols

• Un-numbered protocol. Tuvok once claimed that use of the transporters while at warp was a direct violation of Starfleet safety protocols. He did not cite the protocol by number. (VOY: "Maneuvers")

Harry Kim's reaction suggests that the safety protocol may more precisely be a ban against using transporters while the beaming vessel is at warp and the target vessel is at impulse, or stationary. The reason for caution is cited as having to do with the speed differential between the two vessels.

Starfleet Medical Protocols

• Protocol 121 (Section A): The Chief Medical Officer has the power to relieve an officer or crewman, including a superior one, of their duties if in the officer's professional judgment, he or she is medically unfit. (TNG: "Lonely Among Us"; VOY: "Year of Hell, Part II")

Starfleet/Federation Codes

• Code 1: signals either a total or imminent disaster, a possible invasion, or indicates that the Federation is either currently or about to be engaged in open warfare with a hostile power. The code requires all Starfleet personnel within the affected area to immediately assume a 'war' footing or posture. It is also colloquially known as "Defense Alert", or a "Priority One Alert". (TOS: "Errand of Mercy", "The Trouble with Tribbles", "The Alternative Factor")

• Code 1-Alpha-Zero: Indicates a starship in distress. (TNG: "Relics")

• Code 7-10: a "quarantine code". No Starfleet or Federation-registered starship is to approach a system or vessel which is broadcasting Code 7-10. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon")

• Code 47: an ultra-secure communications protocol, for Captain's eyes only. So secure that all traces of a Code 47 transmission or communication are automatically wiped from all computer records. (TNG: "Conspiracy")

Regulations not specified by name or number

Health-Related

• "All research personnel on alien planets are required to have their health certified by a starship surgeon at one-year intervals." (TOS: "The Man Trap")

• "The ship's surgeon will require a full examination of any crew member that he has doubts about, including the Captain." (TOS: "Turnabout Intruder")

• "Nothing shall be beamed aboard until danger of contamination has been eliminated. Beaming down to the surface (of a planet) IS permitted, if the Captain decides the mission is vital, and reasonably free of danger". (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; VOY: "Macrocosm")

• "The Chief Medical Officer outranks the captain in health matters." (VOY: "Persistence of Vision")
  • A captain cannot order a doctor to violate doctor-patient confidentiality, except in situations of ship security. (VOY: "Fury")

• "All Starfleet personnel must obtain authorization from their CO as well as clearance from their medical officer before initiating an intimate relationship with an alien species." (VOY: "The Disease")

Miscellaneous

• 23rd century Starfleet captains had a high degree of authority onboard the ship they were assigned to command. In extremis, a Captain could invoke his "personal authority as captain" to order his subordinates to override the orders of a senior officer, even if he were not actually on board ship at the time. Such an order would almost certainly result in at least a inquiry after the crisis had passed. Captain Kirk used his "personal authority" to overrule the orders of Commodore Matthew Decker and to have Spock resume command of the Enterprise during the battle with the planet killer. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
• "Ground combat personnel are to rotate off the front lines every ninety days." (DS9: "The Siege of AR-558")
• "No killing of intelligent lifeforms." (TAS: "One of Our Planets Is Missing")
• "Striking a fellow officer is a court-martial offense." (TOS: "This Side of Paradise"; VOY: "Parallax"; ENT: "Bound")
• "Encroaching on the territory of an alien species is prohibited." (VOY: "The Swarm")
• Starfleet protocols included guidelines on proper punctuation of reports, such as conn reports. (VOY: "Dreadnought")

Apocrypha

• The only recorded instances of General Order 24 actually being carried out are the first issue of the Gold Key Star Trek comic series: "The Planet of No Return", and the novel Reap the Whirlwind in the Star Trek: Vanguard series.
• UFP Regulation 342-188564.3 (Paragraph 3): A class-3 biohazard alert. All personnel not part of a Biohazard Response Team is to stay away from any site broadcasting such an alert. (Star Trek: 25th Anniversary, Episode 3: "Love's Labor Jeopardized")
• General Order 34: Starfleet captains will honor, respect, and display extreme tolerance for species-based customs and practices insofar as the safety of the vessel is not threatened by such practices. (Star Trek: New Frontier novel Being Human)
• General Order 16: All Starfleet ship detecting the energy signature from one of the four Malkus Artifacts are under orders to find and confiscate the artifacts. It is unknown wither General Order 16 has the same exceptions as the Omega Directive, to rescind the Prime Directive or not, as it is not explained in the novels, even though the duology was written after Omega Directive, but given the power and danger of the artifacts, and the fourth held the mind of Malkus himself, it might be assumed to be. (Star Trek: The Brave and the Bold)