---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 12134"
description: "Evidentiary uses of documentation"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "121"
chapter_name: "DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS"
section: "12134"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 12134"
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/s12134"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "589220e270bc93a028dda079cc43c1375cd64e9b1f900b97007a2f2e0a857328"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "66a4ab8b6613c12fe28027d10a6130d5d14e0a03dd1dc5798b4927ce0e16207d"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 12134 - Evidentiary uses of documentation

## Text

A certificate of documentation is—

(1) conclusive evidence of nationality for international purposes, but not in a proceeding conducted under the laws of the United States;

(2) conclusive evidence of qualification to engage in a specified trade; and

(3) not conclusive evidence of ownership in a proceeding in which ownership is in issue.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1506.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1213446:12104.