Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§965 Verified statements as prerequisite to vessel’s departure

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 45— - FOREIGN RELATIONS › § 965

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

During a war when the United States is neutral, the captain or person in charge of any ship must, before the ship leaves port, give U.S. Customs a sworn statement. This is in addition to the usual shipping papers. The statement must say whether any cargo will be handed to other ships in port or transferred at sea. If so, it must list the kinds, quantities, total value of each kind, and who will receive them (person, company, ship, or government). Owners, shippers, or consignors must give the same sworn statements about cargo they loaded. Anyone who takes, tries to take, or lets such a ship leave port or the United States in violation of these rules can be fined, jailed for up to ten years, or both. The ship, its gear, and its cargo can be seized by the United States. The Secretary of the Treasury may write rules to exempt coastwise, fishing, or pleasure boats from these requirements.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §965

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)During a war in which the United States is a neutral nation, every master or person having charge or command of any vessel, domestic or foreign, whether requiring clearance or not, before departure of such vessel from port shall, in addition to the facts required by section 431 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1431) and section 60105 of title 46, to be set out in the masters’ and shippers’ manifests before clearance will be issued to vessels bound to foreign ports, deliver to the Customs Service a statement, duly verified by oath, that the cargo or any part of the cargo is or is not to be delivered to other vessels in port or to be transshipped on the high seas, and, if it is to be so delivered or transshipped, stating the kind and quantities and the value of the total quantity of each kind of article so to be delivered or transshipped, and the name of the person, corporation, vessel, or government to whom the delivery or transshipment is to be made; and the owners, shippers, or consignors of the cargo of such vessel shall in the same manner and under the same conditions deliver to the Customs Service like statements under oath as to the cargo or the parts thereof laden or shipped by them, respectively.
(b)Whoever, in violation of this section, takes or attempts to take, or authorizes the taking of any such vessel, out of port or from the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.In addition, such vessel, her tackle, apparel, furniture, equipment, and her cargo shall be forfeited to the United States. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to promulgate regulations upon compliance with which vessels engaged in the coastwise trade or fisheries or used solely for pleasure may be relieved from complying with this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 34, 36 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title V, §§ 4, 6, 40 Stat. 222; Mar. 28, 1940, ch. 72, § 5, 54 Stat. 79). Section consolidates said sections of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Words “within the United States” were substituted for “within the jurisdiction” etc., in view of the definition of United States in section 5 of this title. Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. Words in subsection (a), referring to title 46, section 91, 92, and 94, “each of which sections is hereby declared to be and is continued in full force and effect,” were omitted as surplusage. The conspiracy provision of said section 36 was omitted as covered by section 371 of this title. See reviser’s note under that section. The final paragraph of the revised section was added on advice of the Treasury Department, to conform with administrative practice and because of the unnecessary burden upon domestic commerce had the provisions of this section been enforced against coastwise, fishing, and pleasure vessels. Minor changes of phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–304 substituted “section 60105 of title 46” for “section 4197 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (46 U.S.C. App. 91)”. 1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”. 1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–182 substituted “section 431 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1431) and section 4197 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (46 U.S.C. App. 91),” for “section 91, 92, and 94 of Title 46”, “deliver to the Customs Service” for “deliver to the collector of customs for the district wherein such vessel is then located”, and “the Customs Service like” for “the collector like”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in Pub. L. 107–296 as of Nov. 25, 2002, see section 211 of Title 6, as amended generally by Pub. L. 114–125, and section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125, set out as a note under section 211 of Title 6.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

All offices of collector of customs, comptroller of customs, surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchandise in Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treasury to which appointments were required to be made by President with advice and consent of Senate ordered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than Dec. 31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1965, eff.
May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. All functions of offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950. eff.
July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 965

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73