Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-110
§30703 Bills of Lading
Title 46 › Subtitle III — Maritime Liability › CHAPTER 307 — LIABILITY OF WATER CARRIERS › § 30703
Summary
Carriers must give a bill of lading when a shipper asks. It must list marks to ID the goods, the number of packages or the quantity/weight (and who measured it), and the goods’ apparent condition. The paper is proof the carrier received the goods.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §30703
Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Issuance.—
On demand of a shipper, the carrier shall issue a bill of lading or shipping document.
(b)Contents.—
The bill of lading or shipping document shall include a statement of— (1)
(2)the number of packages, or the quantity or weight, and whether it is carrier’s or shipper’s weight; and
(3)the apparent condition of the goods.
(c)Prima Facie Evidence of Receipt.—
A bill of lading or shipping document issued under this section is prima facie evidence of receipt of the goods described.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3070346 App.:193.Feb. 13, 1893, ch. 105, § 4, 27 Stat. 445. In subsection (a), the words “On demand of a shipper” are added because of the reference to a demand in 46 App. U.S.C. 194. The words “transporting merchandise or property from or between ports of the United States and foreign ports” are omitted because of section 30702(a) of the revised title. The word “lawful” (which modifies “merchandise”) is omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (b)(2), the words “or weight” are added for consistency with the requirement to state whether it is the carrier’s or shipper’s weight. In subsection (b)(3), the word “order” is omitted as redundant to “condition”. The words “delivered to and received by . . . for transportation” are omitted as unnecessary.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 30703
Title 46, Shipping
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110