Supporting Law/Regulation

Title 19: Customs Duties
PART 4—VESSELS IN FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TRADES
General

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§ 4.94   Yacht privileges and obligations.

(a) Any documented vessel with a pleasure license endorsement, as well as any undocumented American pleasure vessel, shall be used exclusively for pleasure and shall not transport merchandise nor carry passengers for pay. Such a vessel which is not engaged in any trade nor in any way violating the Customs or navigation laws of the U.S. may proceed from port to port in the U.S. or to foreign ports without clearing and is not subject to entry upon its arrival in a port of the U.S., provided it has not visited a hovering vessel, received merchandise while in the customs waters beyond the territorial sea, or received merchandise while on the high seas. Such a vessel shall immediately report arrival to Customs when arriving in any port or place within the U.S., including the U.S. Virgin Islands, from a foreign port or place.

(b) A cruising license may be issued to a yacht of a foreign country only if it has been made to appear to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury that yachts of the United States are allowed to arrive at and depart from ports in such foreign country and to cruise in the waters of such ports without entering or clearing at the customhouse thereof and without the payment of any charges for entering or clearing, dues, duty per ton, tonnage, taxes, or charges for cruising licenses. It has been made to appear to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Treasury that yachts of the United States are granted such privileges in the following countries:

Argentina.

Australia.

Austria.

Bahama Islands.

Belgium.

Bermuda.

Canada.

Denmark.

Finland.

France.

Germany, Federal Republic of.

Great Britain (including Turks and Caicos Islands; St. Vincent (including the territorial waters of the Northern Grenadine Islands), the Cayman Islands, the St. Christopher - Nevis - Anguilla Islands and the British Virgin Islands).

Greece.

Honduras.

Ireland.

Italy.

Jamaica.

Liberia.

Marshall Islands.

Netherlands.

New Zealand.

Norway.

Sweden.

Switzerland.

Turkey.

(c) In order to obtain a cruising license for a yacht of any country listed in paragraph (b) of this section, there shall be filed with the port director an application therefor executed by either the yacht owner or the master which shall set forth the owner's name and address and identify the vessel by flag, rig, name, and such other matters as are usually descriptive of a vessel. The application shall also include a description of the waters in which the yacht will cruise, and a statement of the probable time it will remain in such waters. Upon approval of the application, the port director will issue a cruising license in the form prescribed by paragraph (d) of this section permitting the yacht, for a stated period not to exceed one year, to arrive and depart from the United States and to cruise in specified waters of the United States without entering and clearing, without filing manifests and obtaining or delivering permits to proceed, and without the payment of entrance and clearance fees, or fees for receiving manifests and granting permits to proceed, duty on tonnage, tonnage tax, or light money. The license shall be granted subject to the condition that the vessel shall not engage in trade or violate the laws of the United States in any respect. Upon the vessel's arrival at any port or place within the U.S. or the U.S. Virgin Islands, the master shall comply with 19 U.S.C. 1433 by immediately reporting arrival at the nearest Customs facility or other place designated by the port director. Individuals shall remain on board until directed otherwise by the appropriate Customs officer, as provided in 19 U.S.C. 1459.

(d) Cruising licenses shall be in the following form:

License To Cruise in the Waters of the United States

To Port Directors:

For a period of ____ from ____(Date) the ____(Flag) ____ (Rig) yacht ____(Name) belonging to ________ of (Owner's name) ________(Address) shall be permitted to arrive at and depart from the United States and to cruise in the waters of the Customs port of

____________________
    (Name of port or ports)

without entering and clearing, without filing manifests and obtaining or delivering permits to proceed, and without the payment of entry and clearance fees, or fees for receiving manifests and granting permits to proceed, duty on tonnage, tonnage tax, or light money.

This license is granted subject to the condition that the yacht named herein shall not engage in trade or violate the laws of the United States in any respect. Upon arrival at each port or place in the United States, the master shall report the fact of arrival to the Customs officer at the nearest customhouse. Such report shall be immediately made.

Issued this _____ day of _______, 19__

____________________
(Port Director of Customs)      

Warning: This vessel is dutiable:

(1) If owned by a resident of the United States (including Puerto Rico), or brought into the United States (including Puerto Rico), for sale or charter to a resident thereof, or

(2) If brought into the United States (including Puerto Rico) by a nonresident free of duty as part of personal effects and sold or chartered within one year from date of entry.

Any offer to sell or charter (for example, a listing with yacht brokers or agents) is considered evidence that the vessel was brought in for sale or charter to a resident or, if made within one year of entry of a vessel brought in free of duty as personal effects, that the vessel no longer is for the personal use of the non-resident.

If the vessel is sold or chartered, or offered for sale or charter, in the circumstances described, without the owner first having filed a consumption entry and having paid duty, the vessel may be subject to seizure or to a monetary claim equal to the value of the vessel. See Chapter 89, Additional U.S. Note 1, HTSUS, and subheadings 8903.10, 8903.91, 8903.92, 8903.99.10, 8903.99.20, and 8903.99.90, HTSUS.

(e) A foreign-flag yacht which is not in possession of a cruising license shall be required to comply with the laws applicable to foreign vessels arriving at, departing from, and proceeding between ports of the United States.

[T.D. 69–266, 34 FR 20423, Dec. 31, 1969]

Editorial Note:   For Federal Register citations affecting §4.94, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and on GPO Access