Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§2279 Boarding Vessels Before Arrival
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 111 — SHIPPING › § 2279
Summary
Going onto a ship before it reaches its destination and is fully moored is illegal if you are not in U.S. service or not otherwise legally allowed to be there. A person who does this can be fined under federal law, jailed for up to six months, or both; the ship’s captain may detain the person and immediately hand them to law enforcement to be taken before a magistrate.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §2279
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, not being in the United States service, and not being duly authorized by law for the purpose, goes on board any vessel about to arrive at the place of her destination, before her actual arrival, and before she has been completely moored, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. The master of such vessel may take any such person into custody, and deliver him up forthwith to any law enforcement officer, to be by him taken before any committing magistrate, to be dealt with according to law.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 708 of title 46, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Shipping (R.S. § 4606). “Law
Enforcement
officer” was substituted for “constable or police officer” and “committing magistrate” for “justice of the peace.” The phraseology used in the statute was archaic. It originated when the government had few law
Enforcement
officers and magistrates of its own. References to specific sections were made to read: “according to law” to achieve brevity. Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. The words “without permission of the master” were deleted to remove an inconsistency with the provisions of section 163 of title 46, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and customs
Regulations
. Customs
Regulations
, 1943, section 4.1c, prohibit any person “with or without consent of the master” from boarding vessel, with specific enumerated exceptions. Said section 163 prescribes a “penalty of not more than $100 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both” for violating
Regulations
. The revised section increases the fine from $100 to $200 for boarding the vessel “with the consent of the master.” Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $200” in first par.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 2279
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102