Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73
§10308 Foreign engagements
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part G— - Merchant Seamen Protection and Relief › Chapter CHAPTER 103— - FOREIGN AND INTERCOASTAL VOYAGES › § 10308
Summary
A seaman hired abroad must sign the agreement before a consular officer; if none is at that port, sign it at the next port with one.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §10308
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
When a seaman is engaged outside the United States, the agreement required by section 10302 of this title shall be signed in the presence of a consular officer. If a consular officer is not available at the port of engagement, the seaman may be engaged, and the agreement shall be signed in the next port at which a consular officer is available.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1030846:570 section 10308 requires that shipping agreements made in foreign ports be signed in the presence of a consular officer. The penalty for violation of this section is $100.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1993—Pub. L. 103–206 struck out “(a)” before “When a seaman” and struck out subsec. (b) which read as follows: “A master engaging a seaman in violation of this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of $100. The vessel also is liable in rem for the penalty.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 10308
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73