Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§1582 Vessels for Slave Trade
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 77 — PEONAGE, SLAVERY, AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS › § 1582
Summary
Anyone who equips or sends a U.S. ship abroad to take people to be enslaved can be fined, put in prison for up to seven years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1582
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, whether as master, factor, or owner, builds, fits out, equips, loads, or otherwise prepares or sends away any vessel, in any port or place within the United States, or causes such vessel to sail from any such port or place, for the purpose of procuring any person from any foreign kingdom or country to be transported and held, sold, or otherwise disposed of as a slave, or held to service or labor, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than seven years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 424 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 249, 35 Stat. 1139). Words “within the United States” were substituted for “within the jurisdiction of the United States”. See section 5 of this title defining “United States”. Provision for division of the fine and its recovery by private person was omitted. (See reviser’s note under section 1585 of this title.) Mandatory-punishment provisions were rephrased in the alternative. Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1582
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102