Title 46ShippingRelease 119-73not60

§8905 Exemptions

Title 46 › Subtitle Subtitle II— Vessels and Seamen › Part F— Manning of Vessels › Chapter 89— SMALL VESSEL MANNING › § 8905

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Some vessel safety rules don’t apply in certain situations. The rule about recreational boats used in dealer demonstrations only applies if the Secretary decides it is needed for safety under section 4302(d). The rule about oil-spill response vessels does not apply while they are doing spill response or training. After talking with Alaska officials, the Secretary may exempt an operator of a small, self-propelled, uninspected passenger boat that stays inside Alaska, is 26 feet or less, and carries no more than 6 passengers from that dealer-demo rule.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §8905

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(a)section 8903 of this title applies to a recreational vessel operated in dealer demonstrations only if the Secretary decides that the application of section 8903 is necessary for recreational vessel safety under section 4302(d) of this title.
(b)section 8904 of this title does not apply to an oil spill response vessel while engaged in oil spill response or training activities.
(c)After consultation with the Governor of Alaska and the State boating law administrator of Alaska, the Secretary may exempt an individual operating a self-propelled uninspected passenger vessel from the requirements of section 8903 of this title, if—
(1)the individual only operates such vessel wholly within waters located in Alaska; and
(2)such vessel is—
(A)26 feet or less in length; and
(B)carrying not more than 6 passengers.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 8905(a)46:1461(f) 8905(b)46:405(b)(3) section 8905 provides for certain exemptions from the requirements of this chapter. Subsection (a) exempts dealer demonstration recreational vessels from the licensed operator requirement in section 8903 unless the Secretary decides that safety considerations require the application of that section. Subsection (b) exempts an offshore supply vessel of less than 200 gross tons from the licensed operator requirement under section 8904 when used in the offshore mineral and oil industry.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283 added subsec. (c). 2010—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 111–281 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “section 8904 of this title does not apply to a vessel of less than 200 gross tons as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title engaged in the offshore mineral and oil industry if the vessel has offshore mineral and oil industry sites or equipment as its ultimate destination or place of departure.” 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–324, § 734, inserted “as measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title” after “200 gross tons”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–324, § 1104(f), added subsec. (c).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 8905

Title 46Shipping

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60