---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 80504"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "80504"
heading: "Approval and examination"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/80504"
units:
  - "Subtitle VIII — Miscellaneous"
  - "Chapter 805 — Safe Containers for International Cargo"
---

# §80504. Approval and examination

- (a) **Domicile and Principal Office in United States.—** A [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1) [owner](/usc/46/80501.md?p=4) domiciled and having its principal office in the United States shall have the [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1)—
  - (1) approved initially under procedures prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) of the department in which the [Coast Guard](/usc/46/2101.md?p=2) is operating or by the government of another country that is a party to the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2); and
  - (2) examined periodically as provided in the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2) under procedures prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46).
- (b) **Domicile or Principal Office in United States.—** A [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1) [owner](/usc/46/80501.md?p=4) domiciled or having its principal office in the United States shall have the [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1)—
  - (1) approved initially under procedures prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) or by the government of another country that is a party to the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2); and
  - (2) examined periodically as provided in the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2), under procedures prescribed by the government of the country in which the [owner](/usc/46/80501.md?p=4) is domiciled or has its principal office, as long as that country is a party to the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2).
- (c) **Neither Domicile Nor Principal Office in United States.—** A [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1) [owner](/usc/46/80501.md?p=4) neither domiciled nor having its principal office in the United States or another country that is a party to the [Convention](/usc/46/80501.md?p=2) may submit a [container](/usc/46/80501.md?p=1) for initial approval and periodic examination under procedures prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 11, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1695.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 80504. | 46 App.:1502(a) (related to approval and examination). | Pub. L. 95–208, § 3(a) (related to approval and examination), Dec. 13, 1977, 91 Stat. 1476. |

In this section, the words “Beginning on the date the instrument of ratification is deposited by the United States in accordance with the provisions of article VII of the Convention, for new containers, and beginning on September 6, 1982, for existing containers” are omitted as obsolete.

In subsections (a)(1) and (b)(1), the words “government of another country that is a party to the Convention” are substituted for “administration of another contracting party to the Convention” for clarity.

In subsection (c), the word “initial” is added for consistency in the section.