Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73not60
§31104 Venue
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle III— Maritime Liability › Chapter 311— SUITS INVOLVING PUBLIC VESSELS › § 31104
Summary
File the civil case in the U.S. district court where the vessel or cargo is located in the United States. If the vessel or cargo is outside U.S. territorial waters, file where any plaintiff lives or has a U.S. business office; if no plaintiff does, you may file in any district.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §31104
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A civil action under this chapter shall be brought in the district court of the United States for the district in which the vessel or cargo is found within the United States.
(b)If the vessel or cargo is outside the territorial waters of the United States—
(1)the action shall be brought in the district court of the United States for any district in which any plaintiff resides or has an office for the transaction of business; or
(2)if no plaintiff resides or has an office for the transaction of business in the United States, the action may be brought in the district court of the United States for any district.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3110446 App.:782 (1st sentence).Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 428, § 2 (1st sentence), 43 Stat. 1112. In subsection (a), the words “charged with creating the liability” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (b)(2), the words “in the United States” are omitted as unnecessary.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 31104
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60