46 U.S.C. § 7702 (SHIPPING)
§ 7702. Administrative procedure
(a) Sections 551–559 of title 5 apply to each hearing under this chapter about suspending or revoking a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document.
(b) The individual whose license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document has been suspended or revoked under this chapter may appeal, within 30 days, the suspension or revocation to the Secretary.
(c)
(1) The Secretary shall request a holder of a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document to make available to the Secretary, under section 30305(b)(7) of title 49, all information contained in the National Driver Register related to an offense described in section 205(a)(3)(A) or (B) of that Act 1 committed by the individual.
(2) The Secretary shall require the testing of the holder of a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document for use of alcohol and dangerous drugs in violation of law or Federal regulation. The testing may include preemployment (with respect to dangerous drugs only), periodic, random, and reasonable cause testing, and shall include post-accident testing.
(d)
(1) The Secretary may temporarily, for not more than 45 days, suspend and take possession of the license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document held by ‘an 2 individual—
(A) if—
(i) that individual performs a safety sensitive function on a vessel, as determined by the Secretary; and
(ii) there is probable cause to believe that the individual—
(I) has, while acting under the authority of that license, certificate, or document, performed the safety sensitive function in violation of law or Federal regulation regarding use of alcohol or a dangerous drug;
(II) has been convicted of an offense that would prevent the issuance or renewal of the license, certificate, or document;
(III) within the 3-year period preceding the initiation of a suspension proceeding, has been convicted of an offense described in section 30304(a)(3)(A) or (B) of title 49; or
(IV) is a security risk that poses a threat to the safety or security of a vessel or a public or commercial structure located within or adjacent to the marine environment; or
(B) if there is probable cause to believe that the individual has violated company policy and is a security risk that poses a threat to other individuals on the vessel.
(2) If a license, certificate, or document is temporarily suspended under this section, an expedited hearing under subsection (a) of this section shall be held within 30 days after the temporary suspension.
(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 546; Pub. L. 99–36, § 1(a)(3), May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 67; Pub. L. 101–380, title IV, § 4103(a)(1), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 510; Pub. L. 105–383, title III, § 304(a), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3419; Pub. L. 108–293, title IV, § 407, title VI, § 609(2), Aug. 9, 2004, 118 Stat. 1044, 1058; Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, § 3546(f), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2326; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(i), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1758.)
text: Historical and Revision Notes
Revised section
Source section (U.S. Code)
7702
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Section 7702(a) provides that Sections 551–559 of title 5 of the United States Code shall apply to each involving the suspension or revocation of a license, certificate, or document.
Subsection (b) allows an individual whose license, certificate, or document has been suspended or revoked to appeal it to the Secretary within 30 days.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: Section 205(a)(3)(A) or (B) of that Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), means section 205(a)(3)(A), (B) of the National Driver Register Act of 1982, Pub. L. 97–364, which was set out in a note under section 401 of Title 23, Highways, and was repealed and restated in section 30304 of Title 49, Transportation, by Pub. L. 103–272, §§ 1(e), 7(b), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 975, 1379.
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 119–60 substituted “an individual—” for “an individual” in introductory provisions, inserted subpar. (A) designation before “if—”, redesignated former subpars. (A) and (B) as cls. (i) and (ii), respectively, of subpar. (A), and added subpar. (B),
2018—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 30305(b)(7) of title 49” for “section 206(b)(4) of the National Driver Register Act of 1982 (23 U.S.C. 401 note)”.
2004—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 108–293, § 407(1), substituted “if—” for “if, when acting under the authority of that license, certificate, or document—” in introductory provisions.
Subsec.(d)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 108–293, § 407(2), inserted “, while acting under the authority of that license, certificate, or document,” after “has”.
Subsec. (d)(1)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 108–293, § 609(2), substituted “section 30304(a)(3)(A) or (B) of title 49” for “section 205(a)(3)(A) or (B) of the National Driver Register Act of 1982”.
Subsec. (d)(1)(B)(iv). Pub. L. 108–293, § 407(3)–(5), added cl. (iv).
1998—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–383 inserted second sentence and struck out former second sentence which read as follows: “The testing may include preemployment (with respect to dangerous drugs only), periodic, random, reasonable cause, and post accident testing.”
1990—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 101–380 added subsecs. (c) and (d).
1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–36 substituted “mariner’s” for “mariners’ ”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 101–380 applicable to incidents occurring after Aug. 18, 1990, see section 1020 of Pub. L. 101–380, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2701 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.