Title 46 — ShippingRelease 119-73not60
§60101 Boarding Arriving Vessels Before Inspection
Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle VI— Clearance, Tonnage Taxes, and Duties › Chapter 601— ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS › § 60101
Summary
The Secretary of Homeland Security must make and enforce rules about boarding ships that arrive at U.S. ports before the ship has been checked and made safe. If someone breaks those rules, they can be fined under Title 18, sent to jail for up to 6 months, or both. These rules are meant to work with section 2279 of Title 18.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §60101
Shipping — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of Homeland Security shall prescribe and enforce regulations on the boarding of a vessel arriving at a port of the United States before the vessel has been inspected and secured.
(b)A person violating a regulation prescribed under this section shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both.
(c)This section shall be construed as supplementary to section 2279 of title 18.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 6010146 App.:163.Mar. 31, 1900, ch. 120, §§ 1–3, 31 Stat. 58. In subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security is substituted for the Commissioner of Customs because the functions of the Customs Service and of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto were transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security by section 403(1) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–296, 116 Stat. 2178). The functions of the Commissioner of Customs previously were vested in the Secretary of the Treasury under section 321(c) of title 31. For prior related transfers of functions, see the
Transfer of Functions
note under 46 App. U.S.C. 163. The word “shall” is substituted for “is authorized and directed to” for consistency in the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary words. The word “port” is substituted for “seaports” for consistency in the revised title. The word “secured” is substituted for “placed in security” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “from time to time”, “properly”, and “and for that purpose to employ any of the officers of the United States Customs Service” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (b), the words “fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both” are substituted for “subject to a penalty of not more than $100 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both” because of chapter 227 of title 18. The words “in the discretion of the court” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (c), the words “section 2279 of title 18” are substituted for “section forty-six hundred and six of the Revised Statutes” in the Act of Mar. 31, 1900, because R.S. § 4606 (formerly classified to 46 U.S.C. 708 (1946 ed.)) was replaced by 18 U.S.C. 2279 in the codification of title 18 by the Act of
June 25, 1948 (ch. 645, 62 Stat. 683). The words “section 9 of act
August 2, 1882 (22 Stat. 189)” are omitted because that law was repealed by section 4(b) of Public Law 98–89 (Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 600).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 60101
Title 46 — Shipping
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60