---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 13521"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "13521"
heading: "General jurisdiction"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/13521"
units:
  - "Subtitle IV — Interstate Transportation"
  - "Part B — Motor Carriers, Water Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders"
  - "Chapter 135 — Jurisdiction"
  - "Subchapter II — Water Carrier Transportation"
---

# §13521. General jurisdiction

- (a) **General Rules.—** The [Secretary](/usc/49/13102.md?p=20) and the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) have jurisdiction over [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) insofar as [water carriers](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) are concerned—
  - (1) by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) between a place in a [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) and a place in another [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8), even if part of the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10);
  - (2) by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) and [motor carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=14) from a place in a [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) to a place in another [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8); except that if part of the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10), the [Secretary](/usc/49/13102.md?p=20) only has jurisdiction over that part of the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) provided—
    - (A) by [motor carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=14) that is in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10); and
    - (B) by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) that is from a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) to another place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10); and
  - (3) by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) or by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) and [motor carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=14) between a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) and a place outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10), to the extent that—
    - (A) when the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is by [motor carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=14), the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is provided in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10);
    - (B) when the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) to a place outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10), the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is provided by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) from a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) to another place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) before transshipment from a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) to a place outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10); and
    - (C) when the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) from a place outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10), the [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) is provided by [water carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=26) from a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) to another place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) after transshipment to a place in the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) from a place outside the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10).
- (b) **Definitions.—** In this section, the terms “[State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8)” and “[United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10)” include the territories and possessions of the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 103, Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 865.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 10541 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.