Title 46 › Subtitle V — Merchant Marine › Part F — Government-Owned Merchant Vessels › CHAPTER 571 — GENERAL AUTHORITY › § 57112
To buy a vessel sold by the Federal Government at auction, a person must show three things: liability insurance for the vessel’s operator, enough money to pay for the vessel’s upkeep, and if the vessel needs documentation under chapter 121, an admiralty bond or stipulation. A "covered vessel" means one of three kinds: a government-owned vessel sold under this part and section 548 of title 40; a vessel seized or forfeited and auctioned by the Federal Government, including under section 7301 or 7302 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or a fishing vessel seized or forfeited under section 310 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1860).
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Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 57112
Title 46, Shipping
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110