Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-102
§3908 Vessel Deemed Public Vessel
Title 14 › SUBTITLE III — COAST GUARD RESERVE AND AUXILIARY › CHAPTER 39 — COAST GUARD AUXILIARY › § 3908
Summary
When a motorboat or yacht is used for approved Coast Guard duty, the law treats it as a United States public vessel and as a Coast Guard vessel.
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §3908
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
While assigned to authorized Coast Guard duty, any motorboat or yacht shall be deemed to be a public vessel of the United States and a vessel of the Coast Guard within the meaning of section 937 and 938 of this title and other applicable provisions of law.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 266 (Feb. 19, 1941, ch. 8, title I, § 7, 55 Stat. 10). Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress,
House Report No. 557
.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 937 and 938” for “section 646 and 647”. Pub. L. 115–282, § 119(b), renumbered section 827 of this title as this section. 1996—Pub. L. 104–324 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Any motorboat or yacht, while assigned to authorized Coast Guard duty shall be deemed to be a public vessel of the United States, and within the meaning of section 646 of this title shall be deemed to be a vessel of the Coast Guard.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 3908
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102