---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 6103"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "6103"
heading: "Penalty"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/6103"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part D — Marine Casualties"
  - "Chapter 61 — Reporting Marine Casualties"
---

# §6103. Penalty

- (a) An [owner](/usc/46/10101.md?p=2), charterer, managing operator, agent, [master](/usc/46/10101.md?p=1), or individual in charge of a vessel failing to report a casualty as required under [section 6101 of this title](/usc/46/6101.md) or a regulation prescribed under section [6101](/usc/46/6101.md) or [6102](/usc/46/6102.md) is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $25,000.
- (b) A [person](/usc/46/3701.md?p=3) failing to comply with [section 6104 of this title](/usc/46/6104.md) or a regulation prescribed under that section is liable to the Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 536; Pub. L. 98–498, title II, § 212(b)(2), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2306; Pub. L. 100–424, § 4(b), Sept. 9, 1988, 102 Stat. 1590; Pub. L. 104–324, title III, §§ 306(a), 314(b), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3918, 3922.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |
| --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 6103 | 33:361<br>33:362 |

Section 6103 provides for a civil penalty of $1,000 for any owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel that fails to report a casualty required to be reported under subsection (b) of section 6101 or an incident required to be reported under subsection (c) of section 6101.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–324 inserted “or 6102” before “is liable” and substituted “not more than $25,000” for “$1,000”.

1988—Pub. L. 100–424 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

1984—Pub. L. 98–498 struck out “or incident” after “a casualty”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–498 effective 180 days after Oct. 19, 1984, see section 214 of Pub. L. 98–498, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2306 of this title.