Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-110

§535e Ownership

Title 33 › CHAPTER 11 — BRIDGES OVER NAVIGABLE WATERS › SUBCHAPTER IV — INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES › § 535e

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The person, company, or group allowed to build, run, and maintain an international bridge may sell or transfer those rights. Any sale or transfer must be approved by the Secretary of the department that oversees the Coast Guard. If a State or a State agency buys the bridge rights from a private owner, any federal license, contract, or order to that private owner ends immediately. The State then operates and maintains the bridge as if it had been the original applicant, and the rules in section 535d do not apply.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §535e

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Sale, assignment, or transfer; approval of Secretary
Nothing in this subchapter shall be deemed to prevent the individual, corporation, or other entity to which, pursuant to this subchapter, authorization has been given to construct, operate, and maintain an international bridge and the approaches thereto, from selling, assigning, or transferring the rights, powers, and privileges conferred by this subchapter: Provided, That such sale, assignment, or transfer shall be subject to approval by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating.
(b)State status of original applicant upon acquisition of right, title, and interest after termination of private entity licenses, contracts, or orders
Upon the acquisition by a State or States, or by a subdivision or instrumentality thereof, of the right, title, and interest of a private individual, corporation, or other private entity, in and to an international bridge, any license, contract, or order issued or entered into by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, to or with such private individual, corporation, or other private entity, shall be deemed terminated forthwith. Thereafter, the State, subdivision, or instrumentality so acquiring shall operate and maintain such bridge in the same manner as if it had been the original applicant, and the provisions of section 535d of this title shall not apply.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 535d of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed by Pub. L. 100–17, title I, § 135(g), Apr. 2, 1987, 101 Stat. 174.

Amendments

2016—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 114–120 substituted “Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating” for “Secretary of Transportation”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 535e

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110