Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73not60
§30707 Criminal Penalty
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle III— Maritime Liability › Chapter 307— LIABILITY OF WATER CARRIERS › § 30707
Summary
Carriers that break these rules must be fined under title 18. The fine and any costs become a legal claim against the ship, and the government can bring a civil suit against the ship in a U.S. district court where it is found to enforce the claim. Half of the fine goes to the person harmed and half goes to the United States government.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §30707
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A carrier that violates this chapter shall be fined under title 18.
(b)The amount of the fine and costs for the violation constitute a lien on the vessel engaged in the carriage. A civil action in rem to enforce the lien may be brought in the district court of the United States for any district in which the vessel is found.
(c)Half of the fine shall go to the person injured by the violation and half to the United States Government.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3070746 App.:194.Feb. 13, 1893, ch. 105, § 5, 27 Stat. 446. In subsection (a), the words “and who refuses to issue on demand the bill of lading herein provided for” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “shall be fined under title 18” are substituted for “shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $2,000” because of chapter 227 of title 18. In subsection (b), the words “A civil action in rem to enforce the lien may be brought in the district court of the United States for any district in which the vessel is found” are substituted for “such vessel may be libeled therefor in any district court of the United States” for clarity and to modernize the language.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 30707
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60