Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73
§10702 Duties of masters
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part G— - Merchant Seamen Protection and Relief › Chapter CHAPTER 107— - EFFECTS OF DECEASED SEAMEN › § 10702
Summary
If a seaman dies during a voyage, the captain must take the seaman’s money/property, log an inventory plus wages due and deductions signed by three crew (captain, chief mate, unlicensed), and obtain a consular or court-clerk certificate before customs clears.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §10702
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)When a seaman dies during a voyage, the master shall take charge of the seaman’s money and property. An entry shall be made in the official logbook, signed by the master, the chief mate, and an unlicensed crewmember containing an inventory of the money and property and a statement of the wages due the seaman, with the total of the deductions to be made.
(b)On compliance with this chapter, the master shall obtain a written certificate of compliance from the consular officer or court clerk. Clearance may be granted to a foreign-bound vessel only when the certificate is received at the office of customs.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1070246:621 section 10702 requires a master to take charge of the property of a deceased seaman, make note in the official logbook that the property was taken and obtain a certificate of compliance from a shipping commissioner which must be exhibited for port clearance of foreign bound vessels.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1993—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–206 substituted “the consular officer or court clerk” for “a shipping commissioner”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 10702
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73