In this paper, a quantitative study is made of the determination of the level of a vessel traffic management system (VTMS) in a port. Also established is a mathematical model, which conforms to the actual situation in Chinese ports and which takes account of the ideas contributed by experts in relevant fields. With the help of the model, the port needs for VTMS are evaluated in a comprehensive and objective way, the overall levels of VTMS are determined and their corresponding standards set. A computer simulation verification has proven the effectiveness of the model.