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Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102

§5109 Reciprocity for Foreign Vessels

Title 46 › Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen › Part C — Load Lines of Vessels › CHAPTER 51 — LOAD LINES › § 5109

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary will accept a foreign ship's load line marks and certificate as meeting U.S. load-line rules when the foreign country's laws are like U.S. rules or when the country is part of an international load line agreement with the United States. The Secretary can also control the ship in the ways allowed by that international agreement. This does not apply to ships from countries that do not accept load lines assigned under U.S. law.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §5109

Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)When the Secretary finds that the laws and regulations of a foreign country related to load lines are similar to those of this chapter and the regulations prescribed under this chapter, or when a foreign country is a party to an international load line agreement to which the United States Government is a party, the Secretary shall accept the load line marks and certificate of a vessel of that foreign country as complying with this chapter and the regulations prescribed under this chapter. The Secretary may control the vessel as provided for in the applicable international agreement.
(b)Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a vessel of a foreign country that does not recognize load lines assigned under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section 5109 Source: Section (U.S. Code) 46 App. U.S.C. 86f, 88d. section 5109(a) requires the Secretary to accept the load line mark and load line certificate of a vessel of a foreign country if the Secretary finds that the load line laws and

Regulations

of that country are similar to those of this chapter, or if that country is a party to an international load line agreement to which the United States is a party.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 5109

Title 46, Shipping

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102