---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 58104"
description: "Willful violation constitutes breach of contract or charter"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "581"
chapter_name: "RESTRICTIONS AND PENALTIES"
section: "58104"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 58104"
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/s58104"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "657ca365342905d5fbaa6f2f9e48299b3fa83076225ba1a4c33a0e68cbc561ff"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "44f6ffe9da7d4f73676d88e0a6020fd66234034ce412539d99d6c8cc26b0efeb"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 58104 - Willful violation constitutes breach of contract or charter

## Text

A willful violation of any provision of sections 58101–58103 of this title constitutes a breach of the contract or charter. On determining that a violation has occurred, the Secretary of Transportation may declare the contract or charter rescinded.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1672.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5810446 App.:1223(f).June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title VIII, § 805(f), 49 Stat. 2014; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(122), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 164. The words “in force under this chapter” and “forthwith” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “and any person willfully violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor” are omitted because section 3559 of title 18 provides for the classification of offenses. See the revision notes for section 58109 of the revised title.