### **CHAPTER 121—DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS**

#### SUBCHAPTER I—GENERAL

Sec.
12101.
Definitions.
12102.
Vessels requiring documentation.
12103.
General eligibility requirements.
12104.
Applications for documentation.
12105.
Issuance of documentation.
12106.
Surrender of title and number.
12107.
Wrecked vessels.
12108.
Authority to extend duration of vessel certificates.

#### SUBCHAPTER II—ENDORSEMENTS AND SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION

12111.
Registry endorsement.
12112.
Coastwise endorsement.
12113.
Fishery endorsement.
12114.
Recreational endorsement.
12115.
Temporary endorsement for vessels procured outside the United States.
12116.
Limited endorsements for Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands.
12117.
Oil spill response vessels.
12118.
Owners engaged primarily in manufacturing or mineral industry.
12119.
Owners engaged primarily in leasing or financing transactions.
12120.
Liquified gas tankers.
12121.
Small passenger vessels and uninspected passenger vessels.

#### SUBCHAPTER III—MISCELLANEOUS

12131.
Command of documented vessels.
12132.
Loss of coastwise trade privileges.
12133.
Duty to carry certificate on vessel and allow examination.
12134.
Evidentiary uses of documentation.
12135.
Invalidation of certificates of documentation.
12136.
Surrender of certificates of documentation.
12137.
Recording of vessels built in the United States.
12138.
List of documented vessels.
12139.
Reports.
12140.
Investigations by Secretary.

#### SUBCHAPTER IV—PENALTIES

12151.
Penalties.
12152.
Denial or revocation of endorsement for non-payment of civil penalty.

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Codification

This chapter was originally enacted by Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 584, and amended by Pub. L. 98–364, July 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 440; Pub. L. 98–454, Oct. 5, 1984, 98 Stat. 1732; Pub. L. 99–36, May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 67; Pub. L. 99–307, May 19, 1986, 100 Stat. 444; Pub. L. 99–509, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1874; Pub. L. 99–570, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207; Pub. L. 100–239, Jan. 11, 1988, 101 Stat. 1778; Pub. L. 100–710, Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4735; Pub. L. 101–225, Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1908; Pub. L. 101–380, Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 484; Pub. L. 101–595, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2979; Pub. L. 102–388, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1520; Pub. L. 102–587, Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5039; Pub. L. 104–208, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009; Pub. L. 104–324, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3901; Pub. L. 105–277, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681; Pub. L. 105–383, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3411; Pub. L. 106–31, May 21, 1999, 113 Stat. 57; Pub. L. 107–20, July 24, 2001, 115 Stat. 155; Pub. L. 107–206, Aug. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 820; Pub. L. 107–295, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2064; Pub. L. 108–136, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1392; Pub. L. 108–293, Aug. 9, 2004, 118 Stat. 1028; Pub. L. 109–241, July 11, 2006, 120 Stat. 516. This chapter is shown here, however, as having been enacted by Pub. L. 109–304, §5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1491, without reference to those intervening amendments because of the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 109–304.

#### Amendments

**2021**—Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXIII [LXXXIII], §8320(b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4701, which directed amendment of "the analysis for subchapter I of chapter 121" of this title by adding at the end item 12108 "Authority to extend duration of vessel certificates", was executed by adding item 12108 after item 12107 in this analysis to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

**2012**—Pub. L. 112–213, title III, §308(b), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1566, added item 12140.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Transparency

Pub. L. 115–282, title V, §516(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4279, provided that: "The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall publish any letter of determination issued by the Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 2018] on the National Vessel Documentation Center website not later than 30 days after the date of issuance of such letter of determination."