---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 6309"
description: "Voyage data recorder access"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "63"
chapter_name: "INVESTIGATING MARINE CASUALTIES"
section: "6309"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 6309"
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/s6309"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "3699fd5b082661636335fa1eb5441be098e35eb5b6afc65e944f4b1a5ac59cfc"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "a41502f2269cb46c2800b5c6f812f4f10aeb6fa6d4602d8cb96b76d85a94db5f"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 6309 - Voyage data recorder access

## Text

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Coast Guard shall have full, concurrent, and timely access to and ability to use voyage data recorder data and audio held by any Federal agency in all marine casualty investigations, regardless of which agency is the investigative lead.

(Added Pub. L. 115–265, title II, § 207(a), Oct. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 3747.)