---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 2199"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "2199"
heading: "Stowaways on vessels or aircraft"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/2199"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 107 — Seamen and Stowaways"
---

# §2199. Stowaways on vessels or aircraft


[Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), without the consent of the [owner](/usc/18/1839.md?p=4), charterer, master, or [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) in command of any vessel, or [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1), with intent to obtain transportation, boards, enters or secretes himself aboard such vessel or [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1) and is thereon at the time of departure of said vessel or [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1) from a port, harbor, wharf, airport or other place within the jurisdiction of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9); or

[Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), with like intent, having boarded, entered or secreted himself aboard a vessel or [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1) at any place within or without the jurisdiction of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9), remains aboard after the vessel or [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1) has left such place and is thereon at any place within the jurisdiction of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9); or

[Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), with intent to obtain a ride or transportation, boards or enters any [aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1) owned or operated by the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9) without the consent of the [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) in command or other duly authorized [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c) or agent—

(1) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;

(2) if the [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) commits an act proscribed by this section, with the intent to commit [serious bodily injury](/usc/18/2246.md?p=4), and [serious bodily injury](/usc/18/2246.md?p=4) occurs (as defined under [section 1365](/usc/18/1365.md), including any conduct that, if the conduct occurred in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9), would violate section [2241](/usc/18/2241.md) or [2242](/usc/18/2242.md)) to any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) other than a participant as a result of a violation of this section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both; and

(3) if an individual commits an act proscribed by this section, with the intent to cause death, and if the death of any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) other than a participant occurs as a result of a violation of this section, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any number of years or for life, or both.

The word “[aircraft](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-1)” as used in this section includes any contrivance for navigation or flight in the air.


## Source credit

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 802; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 109–177, title III, § 308, Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 241.)

## Notes

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 469–474 (June 11, 1940, ch. 326, §§ 1–3, 54 Stat. 306; Mar. 4, 1944, ch. 82, §§ 1–4, 58 Stat. 111; Apr. 10, 1944, ch. 162, 58 Stat. 188).

Sections consolidated and rewritten with changes of phraseology and substance.

In section 469 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., the element of intent not to pay for transportation was omitted as unnecessary since the payment of transportation will invariably remove the stowaway from the operation of the section by purchasing the master’s “consent”.

In section 472 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., the enumerations of State, Territory, Possession, District of Columbia, and The Canal Zone, was omitted as adequately covered by “place within the jurisdiction of the United States.”

The punishment provision is the same as in sections 470, 472, and 473 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., but the fine is $500 more than the maximum fine provided by said section 469. There seemed no point, however, in preserving a differential in favor of the stowaway as against the aider and abettor of $500. The court can be trusted to exercise a wise discretion within the slightly larger limits provided by the revised section.

The provision for punishment of aiders and abettors in section 470 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was omitted as unnecessary since they are punishable as principals by section 2 of this title.

Sections 471 and 474 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., were omitted as obviously unnecessary.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2006—Pub. L. 109–177 added pars. (1) to (3) and struck out former fourth undesignated par. which read as follows: “Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.”

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in fourth undesignated par.