                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 4--TARIFF ACT OF 1930
 
                 SUBTITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
 
      Part II--Report, Entry, and Unlading of Vessels and Vehicles
 
Sec. 1441. Exceptions to vessel entry and clearance requirements

    The following vessels shall not be required to make entry under 
section 1434 of this title or to obtain clearance under section 91 of 
title 46, Appendix:
        (1) Vessels of war and public vessels employed for the 
    conveyance of letters and dispatches and not permitted by the laws 
    of the nations to which they belong to be employed in the 
    transportation of passengers or merchandise in trade.
        (2) Passenger vessels making three trips or oftener a week 
    between a port of the United States and a foreign port, or vessels 
    used exclusively as ferryboats, carrying passengers, baggage, or 
    merchandise: Provided, That the master of any such vessel shall be 
    required to report such baggage and merchandise to the appropriate 
    customs officer within twenty-four hours after arrival.
        (3) Any vessel carrying passengers on excursion from the United 
    States Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands and returning, 
    if--
            (A) the vessel does not in any way violate the customs or 
        navigation laws of the United States;
            (B) the vessel has not visited any hovering vessel; and
            (C) the master of the vessel, if there is on board any 
        article required by law to be entered, reports the article to 
        the Customs Service immediately upon arrival.

        (4) Any United States documented vessel with recreational 
    endorsement or any undocumented United States pleasure vessel not 
    engaged in trade, if--
            (A) the vessel complies with the reporting requirements of 
        section 1433 of this title, and with the customs and navigation 
        laws of the United States;
            (B) the vessel has not visited any hovering vessel; and
            (C) the master of, and any other person on board, the 
        vessel, if the master or such person has on board any article 
        required by law to be entered or declared, reports such article 
        to the Customs Service immediately upon arrival.

        (5) Vessels arriving in distress or for the purpose of taking on 
    bunker coal, bunker oil, sea stores, or ship's stores and which 
    shall depart within twenty-four hours after arrival without having 
    landed or taken on board any passengers, or any merchandise other 
    than bunker coal, bunker oil, sea stores, or ship's stores: 
    Provided, That the master, owner, or agent of such vessel shall 
    report under oath to the appropriate customs officer the hour and 
    date of arrival and departure and the quantity of bunker coal, 
    bunker oil, sea stores, or ship's stores taken on board.
        (6) Any vessel required to anchor at the Belle Isle Anchorage in 
    the waters of the Detroit River in the State of Michigan, for the 
    purposes of awaiting the availability of cargo or berthing space or 
    for the purpose of taking on a pilot or awaiting pilot services, or 
    at the direction of the Coast Guard, prior to proceeding to the Port 
    of Toledo, Ohio, where the vessel makes entry under section 1434 of 
    this title or obtains clearance under section 91 of title 46, 
    Appendix.

(June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, Sec. 441, 46 Stat. 712; Aug. 5, 1935, 
ch. 438, title III, Sec. 302, 49 Stat. 527; Aug. 14, 1937, ch. 620, 
Sec. 1, 50 Stat. 638; Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1213, title V, Sec. 501(b), 68 
Stat. 1140; Pub. L. 91-271, title III, Sec. 301(b), June 2, 1970, 84 
Stat. 287; Pub. L. 98-573, title II, Sec. 204, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 
2974; Pub. L. 103-182, title VI, Sec. 655, Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2210; 
Pub. L. 104-295, Sec. 21(e)(5), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3530; Pub. L. 
106-36, title I, Sec. 1001(b)(10), June 25, 1999, 113 Stat. 132; Pub. L. 
106-476, title I, Sec. 1452(b), Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2168.)

                       References in Text

    The customs laws of the United States, referred to in pars. (3)(A) 
and (4)(A), are classified generally to this title.
    The navigation laws of the United States, referred to in pars. 
(3)(A) and (4)(A), are classified generally to Title 33, Navigation and 
Navigable Waters.


                            Prior Provisions

    Provisions somewhat similar to those in par. (1) of this section 
were contained in R.S. Sec. 2791. R.S. Sec. 3123 provided that steam-
tugs duly enrolled and licensed to engage in the foreign and coasting 
trade on the northern, northeastern, and northwestern frontiers of the 
United States, when exclusively employed in towing vessels, should not 
be required to report and clear at the custom-house but that when 
employed in towing rafts or other vessels without sale or steam motive-
power, not required to be enrolled or licensed they should report and 
clear in the same manner as other vessels. Both sections were superseded 
and more closely assimilated to this section by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 
356, title IV, Sec. 441, 42 Stat. 952, and repealed by section 642 
thereof. Section 441 of the 1922 act was superseded by section 441 of 
act June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 
651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.


                               Amendments

    2000--Par (6). Pub. L. 106-476 added par. (6).
    1999--Par. (6). Pub. L. 106-36 struck out par. (6) which read as 
follows: ``Tugs documented under chapter 121 of title 46 with a Great 
Lakes endorsement when towing vessels which are required by law to enter 
and clear.''
    1996--Pars. (1), (2), (4), (5). Pub. L. 104-295 substituted period 
for semicolon at end of pars. (1), (2), and (4) and substituted period 
for ``; and'' at end of par. (5).
    1993--Pub. L. 103-182, Sec. 655(1), (5), substituted catchline for 
one which read ``Vessels not required to enter'' and amended 
introductory provisions generally. Prior to amendment, introductory 
provisions read as follows: ``The following vessels shall not be 
required to make entry at the customhouse:''.
    Par. (3). Pub. L. 103-182, Sec. 655(2), amended par. (3) generally. 
Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: ``Vessels carrying 
passengers on excursion from the United States Virgin Islands to the 
British Virgin Islands and returning, and licensed yachts or 
undocumented American pleasure vessels not engaged in trade: Provided, 
That such vessels do not in any way violate the customs or navigation 
laws of the United States and have not visited any hovering vessel: 
Provided further, That the master of any such vessel which has on board 
any article required by law to be entered shall be required to report 
such article to the appropriate customs officer within twenty-four hours 
after arrival.''
    Pars. (4), (5). Pub. L. 103-182, Sec. 655(3), added par. (4) and 
redesignated former par. (4) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).
    Par. (6). Pub. L. 103-182, Sec. 655(3), (4), redesignated par. (5) 
as (6) and substituted ``documented under chapter 121 of title 46 with a 
Great Lakes endorsement'' for ``enrolled and licensed to engage in the 
foreign and coasting trade in the northern, northeastern, and 
northwestern frontiers''.
    1984--Par. (3). Pub. L. 98-573 amended par. (3) generally, inserting 
provision referring to vessels carrying passengers on excursion from the 
United States Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands and 
returning.
    1970--Pars. (2) to (4). Pub. L. 91-271 substituted references to 
appropriate customs officer for references to collector wherever 
appearing.
    1954--Par. (3). Act Sept. 1, 1954, exempted undocumented American 
pleasure vessels from entry requirements, and provided that both yachts 
and undocumented pleasure vessels report to the collector of customs, 
within 24 hours after arrival, all articles, whether dutiable or not, 
for which a customs entry is required.
    1937--Par. (4). Act Aug. 14, 1937, substituted ``sea stores, or 
ship's stores'' for ``or necessary sea stores'' wherever appearing.
    1935--Par. (3). Act. Aug. 5, 1935, inserted ``And not visiting any 
hovering vessel, nor having at any time or, if forfeited to the United 
States or to a foreign government, at any time after forfeiture, become 
liable to seizure and forfeiture for any violation of the laws of the 
United States''.


                    Effective Date of 2000 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 106-476, except as otherwise provided, 
applicable with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, 
for consumption, on or after the 15th day after Nov. 9, 2000, see 
section 1471 of Pub. L. 106-476, set out as a note under section 58c of 
this title.


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-573 applicable with respect to vessels 
returning from the British Virgin Islands on or after 15th day after 
Oct. 30, 1984, see section 214(a), (c)(1) of Pub. L. 98-573, set out as 
a note under section 1304 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

    For effective date of amendment by Pub. L. 91-271, see section 203 
of Pub. L. 91-271, set out as a note under section 1500 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1937 Amendment

    Section 2 of act Aug. 14, 1937, provided as follows: ``The amendment 
made by this Act [amending this section] shall take effect on the day 
following the date of its enactment [Aug. 14, 1937].''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1448 of this title.
