Plovput represents the continuity of one of the best organised old lighthouse services dating from the period of Austro-Hungarian monarchy when the majority of 48 lighthouses which are still in function, were built (the oldest among them is Savudrija, built in 1818).

Afterwards this service was managed by the Maritime Management from Trieste and after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1918) this responsibility passed to the Maritime Region of Bakar which was reorganised in 1924 and moved to Split under the name of “Direction for Maritime Traffic”.

After the 2nd World War this service carried its activities through three Maritime Regions making part of the Secretariat for Traffic and Communications. During 1962 a specialised technical organisation was founded bearing the name “Institution for Maintenance of Maritime Fairways” which was in charge of safety of navigation on maritime fairways of ex-Yugoslavia and which was under the auspices of the Federal Secretariat for Traffic and Communications.

After gaining the independence, the Republic of Croatia, by a Government’s Decree, founded at the beginning of 1992 the society “Plovput p.o. Split” which is owned by the state. The society was registered at the Commercial Court of Split and included into the Register of the State Institute for Statistics making part of “Activities in maritime transport”. This society took over all the financial means, rights, obligations and employees of ex-Institution for Maintenance of Maritime Fairways, which was located in the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

With further changes of the legal system of the Republic of Croatia, the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia passed in 1997 the Law about Plovput Split (Official Gazette No. 73/97) with which the society Plovput p.o. Split became a commercial society with limited responsibility. Its shortened name is “Plovput d.o.o. Split”. This society is legal successor of the society “Plovput p.o. Split”. The society is registered at the Commercial Court of Split.