---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 7511"
description: "Convicted sex offender as grounds for denial"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "75"
chapter_name: "GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND DOCUMENTATION"
section: "7511"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 7511"
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_usc46@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s7511"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "7c24fa1e843440df292f1f0ac17fe69aa2cefeb0b30be40bed8c2208fe9a1b0e"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "c14fdfc1ec148c25eed80d71d317c0a31855b918fe1f12e2d44938fb80394dc2"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 7511 - Convicted sex offender as grounds for denial

## Text

(a) Sexual Abuse.— A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document authorized to be issued under this part shall be denied to an individual who has been convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under—

(1) chapter 109A of title 18, except for subsection (b) of section 2244 of title 18;

(2) section 920 or 920b of title 10 (article 120 and 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice); or

(3) a substantially similar offense under Federal, State, local, or Tribal law.

(b) Abusive Sexual Contact.— A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document authorized to be issued under this part may be denied to an individual who within 5 years before applying for the license, certificate, or document, has been convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under subsection (b) of section 2244 of title 18, or a substantially similar offense under State, local, or Tribal law.

(Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXVI, § 11602(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4147; amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(g)(3), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1756.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2025—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(A), struck out “or” after “title 18;”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(D), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(B), substituted “Federal, State, local, or Tribal law” for “State, local, or Tribal law”. Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(C), redesignated par. (2) as (3).