Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1724 Postage on mail delivered by foreign vessels
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 83— - POSTAL SERVICE › § 1724
Summary
The Postal Service may require any steamship to carry mail to or from a foreign port and must pay the set legal rate, unless a treaty or international agreement says otherwise. If a captain refuses the mail when it’s offered, the port officer who lets the ship leave must hold its clearance until the Postal Service says the mail was accepted or the ship is no longer needed.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1724
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Except as otherwise provided by treaty or convention the Postal Service may require the transportation by any steamship of mail between the United States and any foreign port at the compensation fixed under authority of law. Upon refusal by the master or the commander of such steamship or vessel to accept the mail, when tendered by the Postal Service or its representative, the collector or other officer of the port empowered to grant clearance, on notice of the refusal aforesaid, shall withhold clearance, until the collector or other officer of the port is informed by the Postal Service or its representative that the master or commander of the steamship or vessel has accepted the mail or that conveyance by his steamship or vessel is no longer required by the Postal Service.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 326 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 203, 35 Stat. 1127; Feb. 6, 1929, ch. 157, 45 Stat. 1153).
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “Postal Service” and “Postal Service or its representative” for “Postmaster General” and “Postmaster General or his representative”, respectively, in two places. 1951—Act Sept. 25, 1951, repealed former first paragraph relating to penalties for failure to pay postage on or unlawful conveyance of mail to or from any part of the United States by foreign vessels.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1724
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73