The Prime Directive and General Orders are the major guidelines and regulations to be followed by all Starfleet officers. The consequences of breaking these rules are severe. Following are said rules.
| 1 | The Prime Directive When contacting a planet making normal progress toward a technological civilization, an officer of Starfleet shall make no identification of self or mission; no interference with social development of said planet; no references to space, to other worlds or more advanced civilizations. |
| 2 | Under no circumstances, not even to save his own life or the lives of his crew, shall an officer of Starfleet willfully inflict harm or injury on a being known to be intelligent, unless such action is warranted by General Order 1. |
| 3 | It is the duty of an officer to employ all resources at his command to protect the lives of intelligent beings, although in doing so he should place himself or his vessel in danger. Inaction, or action that indirectly brings harm to intelligent life, incurs equal culpability as a violation of General Order 2. |
| 4 | An officer shall obey and execute to the best of his abilities the orders lawfully given him by his superiors, providing such orders do not conflict with General Orders 1, 2 or 3. |
| 5 | An officer shall do all in his power to protect the security of the United Federation of Planets, its member planets, and its agents including Starfleet, providing such action does not conflict with General Orders 1 through 4. |
| 6 | If all personnel aboard has perished or been rendered incapable of action at the end of twenty-four hours, a starship shall self-destruct in order to protect other beings from contamination. |
| 7 | No Federation vessel, under any conditions, emergency or otherwise, is to be permitted to visit Talos IV. To do so carries a mandatory death penalty. |
| 8 | No Federation vessel is to be permitted to enter territory claimed by the Romulan Star Empire, Dominion, Tholian Assembly, Gorn Hegemony, Tzenkethi Empire, Kzinti Patriarchy, or Mulluran Empire, unless such contact is warranted by General Orders 1 through 5. |
| 9 | No Federation vessel is to be permitted to visit any other planet or stellar group that shall be named by the United Federation or Starfleet as under quarantine or cultural embargo, unless such contact is warranted by General Orders 1 through 5. |
| 10 | An officer of Starfleet is responsible under the laws and regulations of the United Federation, its member planets, and its agents including Starfleet; and is subject to internal discipline and/or prosecution by external authorities for any violation of said laws and regulations. |
| 11 | An officer of Starfleet shall honor the treaties and agreements of the United Federation and its member planets, and shall provide any aid or succor that is lawfully required by the signatories of said treaties and agreements. |
| 12 | It is the duty of an officer to provide any aid and assistance that is required by a planetary civilization in a time of crisis, providing said planet is not protected under General Order 1, and that such aid does not conflict with General Orders 2 through 5. |
| 13 | As long as he wears the uniform of Starfleet, an officer shall not provide aid or information to, nor otherwise assist, the enemies of the United Federation; or any beings or group of beings potentially dangerous to the security of the United Federation, its member planets, or its agents. |
| 14 | An officer of Starfleet shall not act or conduct himself in an unseemly or disorderly fashion; nor in any manner offensive or annoying to other beings. |
| 15 | An officer may be relieved of duty at any time if found to be medically or psychologically unfit by the ship's Chief Medical Officer; or by a competency review board, composed of not less than two officers of command grade. |
| 16 | An officer may be tried and sentenced by a court-martial board, composed of not less than three officers of command grade, for crimes committed in violation of Starfleet General Orders or Federation laws and mandates. |
| 17 | In the absence of the commanding officer, or if the commanding officer is killed, incapacitated, or deemed unfit to command, the highest ranking officer, even if not of the ship's regular complement, shall assume command. |
| 18 | It is forbidden for an officer to instigate, or otherwise participate in, a mutiny against superior officers aboard a Federation vessel, regardless of the actions of said superiors. Mutiny incurs equal culpability as a violation of General Order 4. |
| 19 | An officer is prohibited from using any mood-altering substance while on duty or during alert status, or in a quantity deemed excessive, including but not limited to: hallucinogenics, tranquilizers, stimulants, and ethyl alcohol. Judicious quantities of such substances may be used during off-duty periods, or as prescribed by a physician. |
| 20 | Starfleet vessels shall provide any aid and assistance that is required by private and commercial vessels of United Federation registry; and are empowered to take disciplinary or offensive action against any vessel operating in violation of Federation regulations, or against hostile vessels operating within the territorial boundaries of the United Federation. |
| 21 | No Federation vessel is permitted to transport any cargo or substance that shall be named by the United Federation as illegal, or in a quantity deemed illegal; nor any weapon or destructive device not registered with the Federation bureau of commerce; nor any life form known to be harmful or destructive to other life forms or ecologies. Starfleet vessels are empowered to board and search any vessel suspected of transporting contbaband, and to seize such contraband as evidence. |
| 22 | When contacting a planet not making normal progress or development, or a planetary culture governed, or otherwise controlled, by non-indigenous beings, an officer may make such changes in the social structure of said planet as are warranted to guide it on a normal course toward a technological civilization. Any misuse of General Order 22 incurs equal culpability as a violation of General Order 1. |
| 23 | The destruction of an intelligent being or beings is permissable only to prevent a violation of General Order 1, and only as the sole means of preventing such a violation. Any misuse of General Order 23 incurs equal culpability as a violation of General Order 2. |
| 24 | The destruction of all intelligent life on a planet's surface is permissable only in cases of gross violation of General Order 1 by the inhabitants of said planet, and such action may be ordered only by a command officer of captain grade or higher. Said officer assumes sole responsibility for this order, and any misuse of General Order 24 incurs equal culpability as a violation of General Order 1. |