
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 46USC12109]

 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                     Subtitle II--Vessels and Seamen
 
                    Part H--Identification of Vessels
 
                  CHAPTER 121--DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS
 
Sec. 12109. Recreational endorsements

    (a) A certificate of documentation with a recreational endorsement 
may be issued for a vessel that is eligible for documentation.
    (b) A documented vessel with a recreational endorsement may proceed 
between a port of the United States and a port of a foreign country 
without entering or clearing with the Customs Service. A recreational 
vessel must, however, comply with all customs requirements for reporting 
arrival under section 433 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1433) and 
all persons on board that recreational vessel shall be subject to all 
applicable customs regulations.
    (c) A documented vessel operating under a recreational endorsement 
may be operated only for pleasure.

(Pub. L. 98-89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 587; Pub. L. 99-36, 
Sec. 1(a)(7)(C), May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 67; Pub. L. 99-570, title III, 
Sec. 3151, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207-94; Pub. L. 100-710, title I, 
Sec. 106(b)(5), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4752; Pub. L. 101-225, title 
III, Sec. 301(a)(9), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1921; Pub. L. 101-595, 
title VI, Sec. 603(9), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2993.)

                      Historical and Revision Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Revised section                Source section (U.S. Code)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
12109.............................  46:65l
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 12109 provides that a certificate of documentation in the 
form of a pleasure vessel license may be issued for any vessel that is 
eligible for documentation and is to be used exclusively for pleasure. 
This section also authorizes the Secretary to charge a reasonable fee 
for issuing, reviewing, or replacing a pleasure vessel license or for 
providing any other related service.


                               Amendments

    1990--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101-595 substituted ``on board that 
recreational vessel'' for ``aboard such a pleasure vessel''.
    1989--Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(9)(D), substituted 
``endorsements'' for ``vessel licenses'' in section catchline.
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(9)(A), added subsec. (a) 
and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows: ``A 
recreational vessel license may be issued for a vessel that is--
        ``(1) eligible for documentation; and
        ``(2) to be operated only for pleasure.''
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(9)(B), substituted 
``documented vessel with a recreational endorsement'' for ``licensed 
recreational vessel'' and ``A recreational'' for ``Such''.
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(9)(C), added subsec. (c).
    1988--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-710 struck out subsec. (c) which read 
as follows: ``The Secretary may prescribe by regulation reasonable fees 
for issuing, renewing, or replacing a recreational vessel license, or 
for providing any other service related to a recreational vessel 
license. The fees shall be based on the costs of the service provided.''
    1986--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99-570 inserted ``Such vessel must, 
however, comply with all customs requirements for reporting arrival 
under section 433 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1433) and all 
persons aboard such a pleasure vessel shall be subject to all applicable 
customs regulations.''
    1985--Pub. L. 99-36 substituted ``Recreational'' and ``recreational 
vessel'' for ``Pleasure'' and ``pleasure vessel'', respectively, in 
section catchline and wherever appearing in text.


                    Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 100-710 effective Jan. 1, 1989, with certain 
exceptions and qualifications, see section 107 of Pub. L. 100-710, set 
out as an Effective Date note under section 30101 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 12103 of this title.
