---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 14104"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "14104"
heading: "Measurement to determine application of a law"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/14104"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part J — Measurement of Vessels"
  - "Chapter 141 — General"
---

# §14104. Measurement to determine application of a law

- (a) When the application of a law of the United States to a vessel depends on the vessel’s tonnage, the vessel shall be measured under this part.
- (b) If a statute allows for an alternate tonnage to be prescribed under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) may prescribe it by regulation. Any such regulation shall be considered to be an interpretive regulation for purposes of [section 553 of title 5](/usc/5/553.md). Until an alternate tonnage is prescribed, the statutorily established tonnage shall apply to vessels measured under [chapter 143](/usc/46/chstII/ptJ/ch143.md) or [chapter 145](/usc/46/chstII/ptJ/ch145.md) of this title.
- (c) The head of each Federal agency shall ensure that regulations issued by the agency that specify particular tonnages comply with the alternate tonnages implemented by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–509, title V, § 5101(3), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1920; Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 702, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3933.)

## Notes

### Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section 14104

Source: Section (U.S. Code) 46 App. U.S.C. 71.

Section 14104 requires that a vessel be measured under Part J of this subtitle when the application of a U.S. law to the vessel depends on its tonnage.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–324 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) and (c).