---
type: "LegalText"
title: "33 U.S.C. § 512"
description: "Obstruction of navigation"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
chapter_number: "11"
chapter_name: "BRIDGES OVER NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section: "512"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 512"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc33@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s512"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-33/usc33.xml"
source_hash: "4023633d8311f670cba22f728125ab6248f0c4543d377da9f198e120e14dd0e9"
raw_snapshot_hash: "de3d130b31eae77f8c0fc593f61b7287899297718d678d500eea123559828523"
text_hash: "cfe43cc089a0177181763623abfc4337a9a5f439ca468917a49e7307075873fe"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 33 U.S.C. § 512 - Obstruction of navigation

## Text

No bridge shall at any time unreasonably obstruct the free navigation of any navigable waters of the United States.

(June 21, 1940, ch. 409, § 2, 54 Stat. 498.)