republic-os/legal/us/code/title-33/chapter-30/section-1604.md

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LegalText	33 U.S.C. § 1604	Vessels not subject to International Regulations	us	united_states_code	code_section	33	NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS	30	INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA	1604	33 U.S.C. § 1604	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc33@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t33/s1604	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-33/usc33.xml	5dc649fc59cdeed688ca92f6a47775062717605dd3f1292a25e08c1f9c32a682	de3d130b31eae77f8c0fc593f61b7287899297718d678d500eea123559828523	aca27fe2cada65f061e6642be3c5217933a245d5dc04568c34502e3b8ec1e8ca	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

33 U.S.C. § 1604 - Vessels not subject to International Regulations

Text

(a) The International Regulations do not apply to vessels while in the waters of the United States shoreward of the navigational demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of the United States.

(b) Whenever a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States is in the territorial waters of a foreign state the International Regulations shall be applicable to, and shall be complied with by, that vessel to the extent that the laws and regulations of the foreign state are not in conflict therewith.

(Pub. L. 95–75, § 5, July 27, 1977, 91 Stat. 309; Pub. L. 96–591, § 6(1), Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3434.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1980—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–591 substituted provision providing that the International Regulations do not apply to vessels while in the waters of the United States shoreward of the navigational demarcation lines dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of the United States for provisions that had made specific reference to harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of the United States, as defined in section 154 of this title, to the Great Lakes of North America and their connecting and tributary waters, as defined in section 241 of this title, and to the Red River of the North and rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico and their tributaries, as defined in section 301 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1980 AmendmentPub. L. 96–591, § 7, Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3435, provided that: “Sections 2, 4, 6(1), and 8(a) [enacting section 2072 and former sections 2001 to 2038 of this title, amending this section, and repealing sections 154 to 159, 171 to 183, 191, 192, 201 to 213, 221, 222, 231, 232, 301 to 303, 311 to 323, 331, 341 to 356, 360, and 360a of this title and sections 526b, 526c, and 526d of former Title 46, Shipping] are effective 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 24, 1980], except that on the Great Lakes, the effective date of sections 2 and 4 [enacting section 2072 and former sections 2001 to 2038 of this title] will be established by the Secretary. [The effective date on the Great Lakes was established as Mar. 1, 1983. See 47 F.R. 15135, Apr. 8, 1982.] Section 5 [enacting section 2073 of this title] is effective on October 1, 1981.”