Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110

§13521 General Jurisdiction

Title 49 › SUBTITLE IV — INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › PART B — MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › CHAPTER 135 — JURISDICTION › SUBCHAPTER II — WATER CARRIER TRANSPORTATION › § 13521

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary and the Board have authority over water-carrier transportation in three situations. First, any water-carrier trip from one State to another State is covered, even if part of the trip goes outside the United States. Second, trips that use both water carriers and trucks between States are covered, but if part goes outside the United States the Secretary only controls the truck parts that happen inside the United States and the water-carrier parts that run from one U.S. place to another U.S. place. Third, trips between the United States and places outside it are covered only for truck movement that happens inside the United States and for water-carrier movement that runs between U.S. places either before leaving the country or after arriving from abroad. The words “State” and “United States” include U.S. territories and possessions.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §13521

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)General Rules.—
The Secretary and the Board have jurisdiction over transportation insofar as water carriers are concerned—
(1)by water carrier between a place in a State and a place in another State, even if part of the transportation is outside the United States;
(2)by water carrier and motor carrier from a place in a State to a place in another State; except that if part of the transportation is outside the United States, the Secretary only has jurisdiction over that part of the transportation provided—
(A)by motor carrier that is in the United States; and
(B)by water carrier that is from a place in the United States to another place in the United States; and
(3)by water carrier or by water carrier and motor carrier between a place in the United States and a place outside the United States, to the extent that—
(A)when the transportation is by motor carrier, the transportation is provided in the United States;
(B)when the transportation is by water carrier to a place outside the United States, the transportation is provided by water carrier from a place in the United States to another place in the United States before transshipment from a place in the United States to a place outside the United States; and
(C)when the transportation is by water carrier from a place outside the United States, the transportation is provided by water carrier from a place in the United States to another place in the United States after transshipment to a place in the United States from a place outside the United States.
(b)Definitions.—
In this section, the terms “State” and “United States” include the territories and possessions of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 10541 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 13521

Title 49, Transportation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110