---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 30103"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "30103"
heading: "Liability of master, mate, engineer, and pilot"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/30103"
units:
  - "Subtitle III — Maritime Liability"
  - "Chapter 301 — General Liability Provisions"
---

# §30103. Liability of master, mate, engineer, and pilot


A person may bring a civil action against a master, mate, engineer, or pilot of a vessel, and recover damages, for personal injury or loss caused by the master’s, mate’s, engineer’s, or pilot’s—

- (1) negligence or willful misconduct; or
- (2) neglect or refusal to obey the laws governing the navigation of vessels.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 6(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1510.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 30103 | 46 App.:491 (words after semicolon). | R.S. § 4493 (words after semicolon). |

Before paragraph (1), the words “bring a civil action” are substituted for “sue” for consistency with rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (28 App. U.S.C.). In paragraph (1), the word “carelessness” is omitted as included in “negligence”.