Pre-warp civilization
A pre-warp civilization was any society or culture that had not yet become a warp-capable civilization; that is, one that has not discovered and utilized faster-than-light spaceflight like the warp drive. Pre-warp cultures could range in technology level from extremely primitive, such as a pre-industrial society; to that of Earth in the mid-21st century, where spacecraft utilized sublight technology. (; ; ; ) 

The Federation sometimes used an industrial scale and a technological rating to assess pre-warp civilizations. For example, the natives of Sigma Draconis III had, as of 2268, an industrial scale rating of B – equivalent to Earth in 1485 – and a technological rating of 3. () Another scale was Richter's scale of cultures, which might assign a rating of class D- to an agrarian culture. ()

The Federation's Prime Directive interdicted any disturbance of such civilizations, including any form of contact, until a culture had independently proven its warp-capability. Otherwise, any involvement in the development of pre-warp societies could result in the contamination of their culture, thereby altering their natural evolution. Usually pre-warp civilizations were limited to their homeworld; however, their technical abilities could be sophisticated enough to expand throughout their star system or even beyond. (; ; )

The Federation did allow limited covert research to be conducted on pre-warp civilizations, usually by means of a duck blind. (; ) Observation teams could also be placed among a civilization as a prelude to first contact. () 

In the 32nd century, the Emerald Chain crime syndicate was notorious for contacting pre-warp civilizations in distress, such as the Kwejian, and offering "assistance" in the form of predatory deals. Such civilizations usually collapsed as a result. ()

Pre-warp civilizations

Pre-warp vessels 

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