Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-102
§2123 Promotions; Acceptance; Oath of Office
Title 14 › SUBTITLE II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 21 — PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › SUBCHAPTER I — APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION › § 2123
Summary
An officer’s appointment is treated as acceptance unless they clearly refuse it; an officer who has served continuously since taking the required oath does not have to take a new oath when promoted.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §2123
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)An officer who receives an appointment under section 2121 of this title is considered to have accepted his appointment on its effective date, unless he expressly declines the appointment.
(b)An officer who has served continuously since he subscribed to the oath of office prescribed in section 3331 of title 5 is not required to take a new oath upon his appointment in a higher grade.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 112(b), renumbered section 273 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 2121” for “section 271”. 1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–546 substituted reference to section 3331 of title 5 for reference to section 16 of title 5.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2123
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102