---
type: "LegalText"
title: "48 U.S.C. § 1419"
description: "Right to abandon islands"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 48
title_name: "TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS"
chapter_number: "8"
chapter_name: "GUANO ISLANDS"
section: "1419"
citation: "48 U.S.C. § 1419"
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_usc48@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t48/s1419"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-48/usc48.xml"
source_hash: "a06389bc911c7c5b9b65708abb8824b1d5a24a4fb444271c3111b17ea4ecf525"
raw_snapshot_hash: "2f9a72ec272e6666d7f55f52cc3186aefc6368ca4cc2b9053a531de2fb9288c2"
text_hash: "ed07f7b4a9b2d0a947b0df5aa0d322a0426099da1cb7103439ae412d29ad7c93"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 48 U.S.C. § 1419 - Right to abandon islands

## Text

Nothing in this chapter contained shall be construed as obliging the United States to retain possession of the islands, rocks, or keys, after the guano shall have been removed from the same.

(R.S. § 5578.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification R.S. § 5578 derived from act Aug. 18, 1856, ch. 164, § 4, 11 Stat. 120.