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§8905 Exemptions

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Vessels and Seamen › Part Part F— - Manning of Vessels › Chapter CHAPTER 89— - SMALL VESSEL MANNING › § 8905

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can make the safety rule for recreational boats apply when those boats are used for dealer demonstrations, but only if the Secretary decides it is needed to protect recreational boat safety under the law. A different rule does not apply to oil spill response vessels while they are doing oil spill work or training. After talking with Alaska’s Governor and the State boating law administrator, the Secretary can exempt someone who operates a self-propelled, uninspected passenger boat from that safety rule if the boat stays entirely in Alaska waters, is 26 feet or less long, and carries no more than 6 passengers.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §8905

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(a)section 8903 of this title applies to a recreational vessel operated in dealer demonstrations only if the Secretary decides that the application of section 8903 is necessary for recreational vessel safety under section 4302(d) of this title.
(b)section 8904 of this title does not apply to an oil spill response vessel while engaged in oil spill response or training activities.
(c)After consultation with the Governor of Alaska and the State boating law administrator of Alaska, the Secretary may exempt an individual operating a self-propelled uninspected passenger vessel from the requirements of section 8903 of this title, if—
(1)the individual only operates such vessel wholly within waters located in Alaska; and
(2)such vessel is—
(A)26 feet or less in length; and
(B)carrying not more than 6 passengers.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 8905(a)46:1461(f) 8905(b)46:405(b)(3) section 8905 provides for certain exemptions from the requirements of this chapter. Subsection (a) exempts dealer demonstration recreational vessels from the licensed operator requirement in section 8903 unless the Secretary decides that safety considerations require the application of that section. Subsection (b) exempts an offshore supply vessel of less than 200 gross tons from the licensed operator requirement under section 8904 when used in the offshore mineral and oil industry.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283 added subsec. (c). 2010—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 111–281 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “section 8904 of this title does not apply to a vessel of less than 200 gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title engaged in the offshore mineral and oil industry if the vessel has offshore mineral and oil industry sites or equipment as its ultimate destination or place of departure.” 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–324, § 734, inserted “as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title” after “200 gross tons”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–324, § 1104(f), added subsec. (c).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 8905

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73