---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 10306"
description: "Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "103"
chapter_name: "FOREIGN AND INTERCOASTAL VOYAGES"
section: "10306"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 10306"
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/s10306"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "f9e6ad4e9a621bb64064e9d2d44be7e7c4c5af0dda450d8dbfb78379f4b19461"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "59e87c1bc1cfe86dbf37810b769c9828743936afe5d83fcd35f36c4c1e27cb11"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 10306 - Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents

## Text

Before signing the agreement required by section 10302 of this title, each individual required by section 8701 of this title to have a merchant mariner’s document shall exhibit to the master or individual in charge a document issued to the individual, appropriately endorsed for the capacity in which the individual is to serve.

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 564; Pub. L. 103–206, title IV, § 404, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2436.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1030646:643(c) Section 10306 requires a seaman to exhibit an appropriately endorsed merchant mariner’s document to the shipping commissioner before signing a shipping agreement. When a master acts as a shipping commissioner, the same procedure applies.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1993—Pub. L. 103–206 substituted “master or individual in charge” for “shipping commissioner”.