---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 4105"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "4105"
heading: "Uninspected passenger vessels"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/4105"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part B — Inspection and Regulation of Vessels"
  - "Chapter 41 — Uninspected Vessels Generally"
---

# §4105. Uninspected passenger vessels

- (a) [Chapter 43](/usc/46/chstII/ptB/ch43.md) of this title applies to an [uninspected passenger vessel](/usc/46/2101.md?p=55).
- (b)
  - (1) In applying this title with respect to an [uninspected vessel](/usc/46/2101.md?p=56) of less than 24 meters [overall in length](/usc/46/2101.md?p=30) that carries passengers to or from a port in the United States Virgin Islands, the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) shall substitute “12 passengers” for “6 passengers” each place it appears in [section 2101](/usc/46/2101.md) if the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) determines that the vessel complies with, as applicable to the vessel—
    - (A) the Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial [Motor Vessels](/usc/46/2101.md?p=22) (commonly referred to as the “Yellow Code”), as published by the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency and in effect on January 1, 2014; or
    - (B) the Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial Sailing Vessels (commonly referred to as the “Blue Code”), as published by such agency and in effect on such date.
  - (2) If the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) establishes standards to carry out this subsection—
    - (A) such standards shall be identical to those established in the Codes of Practice referred to in [paragraph (1)](#b-1); and
    - (B) on any dates before the date on which such standards are in effect, the Codes of Practice referred to in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) shall apply with respect to the vessels referred to in [paragraph (1)](#b-1).
- (c) In applying this title with respect to an [uninspected vessel](/usc/46/2101.md?p=56) of less than 25 feet [overall in length](/usc/46/2101.md?p=30) that carries passengers on Crane Lake or waters contiguous to such lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) shall substitute “12 passengers” for “6 passengers” each place it appears in section 2101.
- (d) The [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) shall, by regulation, require certain additional equipment which may include liferafts or other lifesaving equipment, construction standards, or specify additional operating standards for those [uninspected passenger vessels](/usc/46/2101.md?p=55) defined in [section 2101(55)(A) of this title](/usc/46/2101.md?p=55-A).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 529; Pub. L. 103–206, title V, § 511(b), Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2442; Pub. L. 113–281, title III, § 319, Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3051; Pub. L. 115–232, div. C, title XXXV, § 3541(b)(10), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2323; Pub. L. 115–282, title V, § 502, Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4269; Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXVI, § 11601(c)(2), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4146; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(k)(1)(E), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1759.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |
| --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 4105 | 46:1452<br>46:1453 |

Section 4105 provides that an uninspected passenger vessel is subject to Chapter 43, as a recreational vessel even when it is carrying not more than six passengers.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 119–60 substituted “section 2101(55)(A)” for “section 2101(53)(A)”.

2022—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 117–263, § 11601(c)(2)(A), substituted “section 2101” for “section 2101(51)” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–263, § 11601(c)(2)(A), substituted “section 2101” for “section 2101(51)”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–263, § 11601(c)(2)(B), substituted “section 2101(53)(A)” for “section 2101(51)(A)”.

2018—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–232, § 3541(b)(10)(A), substituted “section 2101(51)” for “section 2101(42)” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 115–282, § 502(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d).

Pub. L. 115–232, § 3541(b)(10)(B), substituted “section 2101(51)(A)” for “section 2101(42)(A)”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–282, § 502(1), redesignated subsec. (c) as (d).

2014—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 113–281 added subsec. (b), redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c), and in subsec. (c) substituted “The” for “Within twenty-four months of the date of enactment of this subsection, the”.

1993—Pub. L. 103–206 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).