Section 80.91 - Order of priority of communications(a) All stations in the maritime mobile service and the maritime mobile-satellite service shall be capable of offering four levels of priority in the following order:(1) Distress calls, distress messages, and distress traffic.(2) Urgency communications.(3) Safety communications.(4) Other communications.(b) In a fully automated system, where it is impracticable to offer all four levels of priority, category 1 shall receive priority until such time as intergovernmental agreements remove exemptions granted for such systems from offering the complete order of priority. 68 FR 46960 , Aug. 7, 2003