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document, ruling, or other official act referring
to the documentation of a vessel, the following
definitions apply:
(1) REGISTRY ENDORSEMENT.—The terms
‘‘certificate of registry’’, ‘‘register’’, and ‘‘registry’’ mean a certificate of documentation
with a registry endorsement issued under this
chapter.
(2) COASTWISE ENDORSEMENT.—The terms ‘‘license’’, ‘‘enrollment and license’’, ‘‘license for
the coastwise (or coasting) trade’’, and ‘‘enrollment and license for the coastwise (or
coasting) trade’’ mean a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement issued under this chapter.
(3) YACHT.—The term ‘‘yacht’’ means a recreational vessel even if not documented.

tation may issue a waiver allowing a documented vessel with a registry endorsement or
a foreign flag vessel to be used in operations
that treat aquaculture fish for or protect
aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic infestation, or other threats to their health if the
Secretary finds, after publishing a notice in
the Federal Register, that a suitable vessel of
the United States is not available that could
perform those services.
(2) PROHIBITION.—Vessels operating under a
waiver issued under this subsection may not
engage in any coastwise transportation.
(Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1492;
Pub. L. 111–281, title IX, § 901(c)(1), Oct. 15, 2010,
124 Stat. 3008.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1491.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Revised
Section
12101(a) ......

12101(b) ......

§ 12103

TITLE 46—SHIPPING

Source (U.S. Code)
46:12101(a)(2).
46 App.:883 (2d proviso related to
meaning of ‘‘rebuilt’’).

Source (Statutes at Large)

Revised
Section
12102(a) ......
12102(b) ......

June 5, 1920, ch. 250, § 27 (2d
proviso related to meaning of ‘‘rebuilt’’), 41 Stat.
999; July 2, 1935, ch. 355, 49
Stat. 442; July 14, 1956, ch.
600, § 1, 70 Stat. 544; Pub.
L. 86–583, § 1, July 5, 1960,
74 Stat. 321; Pub. L.
100–239, § 6(c)(1), Jan. 11,
1988, 101 Stat. 1782.

46:12101(b).

In subsection (a), the words ‘‘its territories’’ and ‘‘or
its possessions’’ are omitted because of the definition of
‘‘United States’’ in chapter 1 of the revised title. The
words ‘‘(not including trust territories)’’ are omitted
because the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands has
terminated. See 48 U.S.C. 1681 note prec.
PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 12101, Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97
Stat. 585; Pub. L. 98–364, title IV, § 402(16), July 17, 1984,
98 Stat. 450; Pub. L. 99–36, § 1(a)(7)(B), May 15, 1985, 99
Stat. 67; Pub. L. 100–239, § 3(2), (3), Jan. 11, 1988, 101 Stat.
1778; Pub. L. 101–225, title III, § 301(a)(1), Dec. 12, 1989,
103 Stat. 1920; Pub. L. 104–324, title XI, § 1115(b)(2), Oct.
19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3972, originally derived from section
65w of former Title 46, Shipping, related to definitions
and related terms in other laws, prior to the general
amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 109–304. See this
section and section 108 of this title.

§ 12102. Vessels requiring documentation
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided, a vessel may engage in a trade only if the
vessel has been issued a certificate of documentation with an endorsement for that trade
under this chapter.
(b) VESSELS LESS THAN 5 NET TONS.—A vessel
of less than 5 net tons may engage in a trade
without being documented if the vessel otherwise satisfies the requirements to engage in the
particular trade.
(c) BARGES.—A barge qualified to engage in
the coastwise trade may engage in the coastwise
trade, without being documented, on rivers, harbors, lakes (except the Great Lakes), canals, and
inland waters.
(d) AQUACULTURE WAIVER.—
(1) PERMITTING OF NONQUALIFIED VESSELS TO
PERFORM CERTAIN AQUACULTURE SUPPORT OPERATIONS.—Notwithstanding section 12113 and
any other law, the Secretary of Transpor-

12102(c) ......

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

46:12106(b).
46:12108(b).
46:12110(a).
46:12102(a) (related
to tonnage).
46:12110(b).

PRIOR PROVISIONS
A prior section 12102, Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97
Stat. 585; Pub. L. 99–509, title V, § 5102(b)(6), Oct. 21,
1986, 100 Stat. 1927; Pub. L. 100–239, § 7(a), Jan. 11, 1988,
101 Stat. 1782; Pub. L. 100–710, title I, § 104(a)(4), (5), Nov.
23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4750; Pub. L. 101–225, title III,
§ 301(a)(2), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1920; Pub. L. 104–324,
title XI, § 1136(a), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3986; Pub. L.
105–277, div. C, title II, § 202(a), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat.
2681–617; Pub. L. 105–383, title IV, §§ 401(a)(1), 421, Nov.
13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3424, 3439; Pub. L. 107–20, title II,
§ 2202(a), July 24, 2001, 115 Stat. 168; Pub. L. 107–206, title
I, § 1103, Aug. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 884; Pub. L. 108–136, div.
C, title XXXV, § 3534(b)(1), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1818,
originally derived from section 65b of former Title 46,
Shipping, related to vessels eligible for documentation,
prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub.
L. 109–304. See this section and sections 12103, 12111, and
12113 of this title.
AMENDMENTS
2010—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–281 added subsec. (d).
REGULATIONS
Pub. L. 111–281, title IX, § 901(c)(2), Oct. 15, 2010, 124
Stat. 3008, provided that: ‘‘The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall, in
accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States
Code, and after public notice and comment, promulgate
regulations necessary and appropriate to implement
this subsection [amending this section]. The Secretary
may grant interim permits pending the issuance of
such regulations upon receipt of applications containing the required information.’’

§ 12103. General eligibility requirements
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided, a certificate of documentation for a vessel may be issued under this chapter only if the
vessel is—
(1) wholly owned by one or more individuals
or entities described in subsection (b);
(2) at least 5 net tons as measured under part
J of this subtitle; and
(3) not documented under the laws of a foreign country.
(b) ELIGIBLE OWNERS.—For purposes of subsection (a)(1), the following are eligible owners: