Title 14Coast GuardRelease 119-73

§2314 Detention beyond term of enlistment

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 23— - PERSONNEL; ENLISTED › § 2314

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Under rules the Secretary sets, an enlisted Coast Guard member may be kept in service after their enlistment ends in certain situations. They can be held until their ship first reaches its home station or any port in a U.S. state or the District of Columbia. If serving at a shore station outside the continental U.S. or in Alaska, they can be kept until they reach a U.S. port where reenlistment or discharge can happen, or until they can be reenlisted or discharged where they are — whichever comes first, but never more than three months. During a war or a President-declared national emergency, they can be held and, for national defense, for up to six months after the war or emergency ends. In other cases, they can be held up to thirty days when it is essential to the public interest, and the Secretary’s decision under the rules is final.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §2314

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, an enlisted member may be detained in the Coast Guard beyond the term of his enlistment:
(1)until the first arrival of the vessel on which he is serving at its permanent station, or at a port in a State of the United States or in the District of Columbia; or
(2)if attached to a shore station beyond the continental limits of the United States or in Alaska, until his first arrival at a port in any State of the United States or in the District of Columbia where his reenlistment or discharge may be effected, or until he can be discharged or reenlisted at his station beyond the continental limits of the United States or in Alaska, whichever is earlier, but in no event to exceed three months; or
(3)during a period of war or national emergency as proclaimed by the President, and, in the interest of national defense, for a period not to exceed six months after the end of the war or the termination of the emergency; or
(4)for a period of not exceeding thirty days in other cases whether or not specifically covered by this section, when essential to the public interests, and the determination that such detention is essential to the public interests, made in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary, shall be final and conclusive.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 35, 35a, 35c (
May 26, 1906, ch. 2556, § 1, 34 Stat. 200; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, § 1, 38 Stat. 800;
July 30, 1937, ch. 545, § 1, 50 Stat. 547;
July 11, 1941, ch. 290, § 8, 55 Stat. 586; Aug. 18, 1941, ch. 364, § 3, 55 Stat. 629; Dec. 13, 1941, ch. 570, § 5, 55 Stat. 799). Section 35 of title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., has been divided. The proviso of subsection (a) is covered by subsection (b) of this section. Subsections (c) and (d) are placed in subsection (a) of this section, except that part (3) of subsection (c) is covered in section 366 of this title. The first sentence of subsection (a) is placed in section 351 of this title. Subsection (b) is placed in section 365 of this title. Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress,

House Report No. 557

.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 367 of this title as this section. 1984—Pub. L. 98–557 struck out subsec. “(a)” designation; in provisions preceding cl. (1) substituted “enlisted member” for “enlisted man”; and in provisions following cl. (4) substituted “member detained” for “person detained”, “Enlisted members” for “Enlisted men”, and “clause (1)” for “(1) of this subsection”. 1956—Subsec. (a). Act
July 24, 1956, §§ 2(4), 3, repealed cl. (3) permitting detention of enlisted members beyond term of their enlistment while waiting disciplinary action or trial and disposition of their case, struck out provisions prohibiting payment of pay or allowances for any period beyond term of enlistment if trial of such members results in conviction, and redesignated cls. (4) and (5) as (3) and (4), respectively. See section 972(a) of Title 10, Armed Forces. Subsecs. (b), (c). Act
July 24, 1956, § 2(4), repealed subsecs. (b) and (c) which required enlisted members to make good time lost by unauthorized absence from duty, or by confinement under sentence or pending trial, or by reason of sickness resulting from misconduct. See section 972(a) of Title 10. 1950—Subsec. (c). Act Aug. 3, 1950, added subsec. (c).

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority For delegation of authority under this section, as invoked by section 2 of Ex. Ord. No. 13223, Sept. 14, 2001, 66 F.R. 48201, as amended, to Secretary of Homeland Security when Coast Guard is not serving as part of Navy, see section 5 of Ex. Ord. No. 13223, set out as a note under section 12302 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 2314

Title 14Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73