Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102

§6103 Penalty

Title 46 › Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen › Part D — Marine Casualties › CHAPTER 61 — REPORTING MARINE CASUALTIES › § 6103

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Failing to report a casualty by certain vessel leaders (owner, charterer, operator, agent, master, or person in charge) can bring a Government fine up to $25,000; failing other duties can bring up to $5,000.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §6103

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(a)An owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel failing to report a casualty as required under section 6101 of this title or a regulation prescribed under section 6101 or 6102 is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $25,000.

(b)A person failing to comply with section 6104 of this title or a regulation prescribed under that section is liable to the Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 610333:36133:362 section 6103 provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 for any owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel that fails to report a casualty required to be reported under subsection (b) of section 6101 or an incident required to be reported under subsection (c) of section 6101.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–324 inserted “or 6102” before “is liable” and substituted “not more than $25,000” for “$1,000”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–424 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). 1984—Pub. L. 98–498 struck out “or incident” after “a casualty”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–498 effective 180 days after Oct. 19, 1984, see section 214 of Pub. L. 98–498, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 2306 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 6103

Title 46, Shipping

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102