Us Code § 10302 - Shipping articles agreements
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 10302 — Shipping articles agreements, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 10302. Shipping articles agreements
(a) The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall make a shipping agreement in writing with each seaman before the seaman commences employment.
(b) The agreement shall contain the following:
(1) the nature, and, as far as practicable, the duration of the intended voyage, and the port or country in which the voyage is to end.
(2) the number and description of the crew and the capacity in which each seaman is to be engaged.
(3) the time at which each seaman is to be on board to begin work.
(4) the amount of wages each seaman is to receive.
(5) regulations about conduct on board, and information on fines, short allowance of provisions, and other punishment for misconduct provided by law.
(6) a scale of the provisions that are to be provided each seaman.
(7) any stipulation in reference to advances and allotments of wages.
(8) other matters not contrary to law.
(c) Each shipping agreement must be signed by the master or individual in charge or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by each seaman employed.
(d) The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall maintain the shipping agreement and make the shipping agreement available to the seaman.
(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 561; Pub. L. 103–206, title IV, §401, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2435.)
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 10302 | 46:564 |
Section 10302 requires the master to make a shipping agreement with each crew member and lists the information that must be included in the agreement.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–206, §401(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: "Before proceeding on a voyage, the master of a vessel to which this chapter applies shall make a shipping articles agreement in writing with each seaman in the crew."
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 103–206, §401(2), added subsecs. (c) and (d).
About This Section
46 U.S.C. § 10302 is part of Title 46 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 46 U.S.C. § 10302. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.