---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 60305"
description: "Vessels in distress"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "603"
chapter_name: "TONNAGE TAXES AND LIGHT MONEY"
section: "60305"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 60305"
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/s60305"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "864d91e50114ad89de9bdff505a2d0ca37e1c84acae555d197e12c777f829045"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "1b6548d6f9701d5d555cda1a12eb9f5cf4b41c0da9f5f2ecf6c7f9a3999fe66b"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 60305 - Vessels in distress

## Text

A vessel is exempt from tonnage taxes and light money when it enters because it is in distress.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 9(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1678.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 6030546 App.:121 (3d sentence related to distress).Aug. 5, 1909, ch. 6, § 36 (2d sentence related to distress), 36 Stat. 111; Pub. L. 101–508, title X, § 10402(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–398; Pub. L. 103–66, title IX, § 9001(a)(3), (c)(1), Aug. 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 402. The words “and light money” are added for clarity and consistency. See 19 C.F.R. § 4.21 (2003).