N.Y. Nav. Law § 91-a

§ 91-a. Licensing of Hudson river pilots. The commissioners, or a\nmajority of them, shall license, for such terms as they may think\nproper, as many pilots as they may deem necessary to pilot ships through\nthat portion of the Hudson river specified in this act, the continuation\nof the Hudson river, and the main ship channel of the Upper bay, New\nYork harbor, east of a line from Robbins reef light to the tower at\nStaten Island borough hall and down to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge,\nand such commissioners may specify in such licenses different degrees of\nqualifications appropriate to different parts or branches of pilot duty,\naccording to the competency of the applicant.\n