---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 U.S.C. § 2123"
title: "14"
title_heading: "Coast Guard"
number: "2123"
heading: "Promotions; acceptance; oath of office"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/14/2123"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 21 — Personnel; Officers"
  - "Subchapter I — Appointment and Promotion"
---

# §2123. Promotions; acceptance; oath of office

- (a) An officer who receives an appointment under [section 2121 of this title](/usc/14/2121.md) is considered to have accepted his appointment on its effective date, unless he expressly declines the appointment.
- (b) An officer who has served continuously since he subscribed to the oath of office prescribed in [section 3331 of title 5](/usc/5/3331.md) is not required to take a new oath upon his appointment in a higher grade.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 88–130, § 1(10)(C), Sept. 24, 1963, 77 Stat. 182, § 273; amended Pub. L. 94–546, § 1(20), Oct. 18, 1976, 90 Stat. 2520; renumbered § 2123 and amended Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 112(b), 123(b)(2), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4216, 4240.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 112(b), renumbered section 273 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 2121” for “section 271”.

1976—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–546 substituted reference to section 3331 of title 5 for reference to section 16 of title 5.