(2) The certificate of number and the number awarded shall be valid for a period not exceeding three years, unless canceled or surrendered, and may be renewed for additional periods.

(3) The number awarded shall be required to be painted on, or attached to, each side of the bow of the vessel for which it was issued, and shall be of such size, color, and type, as may be prescribed by the Secretary. No other number shall be permitted to be carried on the bow of such vessel.

(4) The certificate of number shall be pocket size and shall be required to be at all times available for inspection on the vessel for which issued, whenever such vessel is in use.

(5) The owner shall be required to furnish to a designated State official, notice of the transfer of all or any part of his interest in any numbered vessel, and of the destruction or abandonment of such vessel, within a reasonable time thereof. The owner shall be required to notify a designated State official of any change in his address within a reasonable time of such change.

(6) The State shall require that reports be made to it of accidents involving vessels numbered by it under its numbering system, and shall compile and transmit to the Secretary such statistics on such accidents.

(7) The State shall recognize the validity of a number awarded to any vessel by another State under a numbering system approved by the Secretary under this subchapter, or awarded a number by the Secretary, for a period of at least ninety days.

(8) In the case of a State having its numbering system approved after April 1, 1960, such State shall accept and recognize any valid certificate of number awarded under subsection (d) of this section for so long as such certificate would otherwise be valid under such subsection (d), except that where such a certificate would remain valid for more than one year after the date when such_State's numbering system was approved, the State may accept and recognize the validity of such certificate for a lesser period, but such period shall not end sooner than one year from the date of approval of such system.

(9) The State may exempt any vessel or class of vessels from the numbering provisions of its system if such vessel or class of vessels has been made exempt from the numbering provisions of subsection (d) of this section by the Secretary under section 527(b) of this title.

(10) The States may charge fees in connection with the award of certificates of number and renewals thereof.

(11) The States may require that the operator of a vessel required to be numbered hereunder shall hold a valid safety certificate to be issued under such terms and conditions as may be provided by State law.

(d) The owner of an undocumented vessel required to be numbered under subsection (a) of this section who uses his vessel principally in a State which does not have a numbering system approved by the Secretary under subsection (c) of this section, shall make application to the Secretary, and upon payment of the fee estab

lished under section 527c of this title, such owner shall be granted a certificate of number containing the number awarded such vessel by the Secretary.

(e) The certificate of number initially awarded to an owner under subsection (d) of this section shall be valid for three years from the date of the owner's birthday next occurring after the date the certificate of number is issued, unless surrendered or canceled pursuant to regulations of the Secretary. If at the end of such period such ownership has remain [sic] unchanged, such owner shall, upon application and payment of the fee established under section 527c of this title, be granted a renewal of such certificate of number for an additional three-year period.

(f) The number awarded under subsection (c) or (d) of this section shall be painted on, or attached to, each side of the bow of the vessel for which it was issued, and shall be of such size, color, and type as may be prescribed by the Secretary. No other number shall be carried on the bow of such vessel.

(g) The certificate of number granted under subsection (c) or (d) of this section shall be pocket size and shall be required to be at all times available for inspection on the vessel for which issued whenever such vessel is in use, and shall constitute a document in lieu of a marine document that sets forth an official number issued by the Bureau of Customs.

(h) Whenever the Secretary determines that a State is not administering its approved system for numbering vessels in accordance with the standards set forth under subsection (c) of this section, he may withdraw such approval. The Secretary shall not withdraw his approval of a State system of numbering until he has given notice in writing to the State setting forth specifically wherein the State has failed to maintain such standards.

Federal numbering system; notice of transfer of interest; destruction or abandonment of vessel, change of address 46 U.S.C. 527b

The owner of any vessel numbered under section 527a (d) of this title shall furnish to the Secretary notice of the transfer of all or any part of his interest in any numbered vessel, within a reasonable time thereof. The owner shall notify the Secretary of any change. in his address within a reasonable time of such change.

Federal numbering system; fees

46 U.S.C. 527c

The Secretary may prescribe reasonable fees or charges for the numbering of a vessel, or renewal thereof, under subsections (d) and (e) of section 527a of this title.

Regulations; Federal numbering system exemptions

46 U.S.C. 527d

(a) The Secretary shall make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this subchapter: Pro

vided, That such rules and regulations shall be submitted to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate when Congress is in session, and shall not become effective until sixty days thereafter.

(b) The Secretary may, from time to time, and for such periods as he may prescribe, exempt any vessel or class of vessels from the numbering provisions of subsection (d) of section 527a of this title. Violations generally; penalties

46 U.S.C. 527e

(a) Whoever being the owner of a vessel required to be numbered under this subchapter, violates section 527a or 527b of this title, or regulations established by the Secretary under section 527d of this title, shall be liable to a penalty of $50 for each violation. Whoever operates a vessel in violation of section 527a of this title, or regulations established by the Secretary under section 527d of this title, shall be liable to a penalty of $50 for each violation.

(b) The Secretary may assess and collect any penalty incurred under this subchapter or any regulations prescribed pursuant to section 527d of this title. The Secretary may, in his discretion, remit or mitigate any penalty imposed under this section, or discontinue prosecution therefor on such terms as he may deem proper.

(c) Commissioned, warrant, and petty officers of the Coast Guard may board any vessel required to be numbered under this subchapter at any time such vessel is found upon the navigable waters of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia, or on the high seas, address inquiries to those on board, require appropriate proof of identification therefrom, examine the certificate of number issued under this subchapter, or in the absence of such certificate require appropriate proof of identification of the owner of the vessel, and, in addition, examine such vessel for compliance with this subchapter, subchapter II of this chapter, and the applicable rules of the road. Declaration of policy

46 U.S.C. 527f

It is declared to be the policy of Congress to encourage uniformity of boating laws, rules, and regulations as among the several States and the Federal Government to the fullest extent practicable, subject to reasonable exceptions arising out of local conditions. In the interest of fostering the development, use, and enjoyment of all the waters of the United States it is further declared to be the policy of the Congress hereby to encourage the highest degree of reciprocity and comity among the several jurisdictions. The Secretary, acting under the authority of section 141 of title 14 shall to the greatest possible extent enter into agreements and other arrangements with the States to insure that there shall be the fullest possible cooperation in the enforcement of both State and Federal statutes, rules, and regulations relating to recreational boating.

Publication of findings; public inspection

46 U.S.C. 527g

The Secretary is authorized and directed to compile, analyze, and publish, either in summary or detailed form, the information obtained by him from the accident reports transmitted to him under section 527a (c) (6), and under section 526 (c) of this title, together with such findings concerning the causes of such accidents and such recommendations for their prevention as he may deem necessary. Such information shall be made available for public inspection in such manner as the Secretary may deem practicable.

Enforcement provisions; State jurisdiction unimpaired; approval of State numbering systems

46 U.S.C. 527h

The applicability and the jurisdiction for enforcement, upon the navigable waters of the United States, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the District of Columbia, of the laws of the United States and of any State which require the numbering and otherwise regulate the use of undocumented vessels, shall be as follows:

(1) Such laws of the United States shall be applicable and enforced on such waters by law enforcement officers of the United States.

(2) Such laws of any State in a State having a numbering system approved by the Secretary under section 527a (c) of this title shall be applicable and enforced on such waters by law enforcement officers of the State or by law enforcement officers of the appropriate subdivisions of the State.

(3) Nothing herein shall preclude enforcement of State or Federal laws pursuant to agreements or other arrangements entered into between the Secretary and any State within the contemplation of section 527f of this title.

(4) Nothing herein shall interfere with, abrogate or limit the jurisdiction of any State: Provided, however, That the Secretary shall not approve any State system for numbering which does not fully comply with the standards set forth in section 527a (c) of this title.

Seagoing vessels propelled by internal-combustion engines 46 U.S.C. 367

Existing laws covering the inspections of steam vessels are made applicable to seagoing vessels of three hundred gross tons and over, propelled in whole or in part by internal-combustion engines to such extent and upon such conditions as may be required by the regulations of the Commandant of the Coast Guard: Provided, That this shall not apply to any vessel engaged in fishing, oystering, clamming, crabbing, or any other branch of the fishery or kelp or sponge industry: Provided further, That as to licenses required for masters and engineers operating vessels propelled by internal-combustion engines operating exclusively in the district covering the Hawaiian Islands, said masters and engineers shall be under the jurisdiction of

the Coast Guard officials having jurisdiction over said waters, who shall make diligent inquiry as to the character, merits, and qualifications, and knowledge and skill of any master or engineer applying for a license. If the said Coast Guard officials shall be satisfied from personal examination of the applicant and from other proof submitted that the applicant possesses the requisite character, merits, qualifications, knowledge, and skill, and is trustworthy and faithful, they shall grant him a license for the term of five years to operate such vessel under the limits prescribed in the license. The term "seagoing vessels" as used in this section shall be construed to mean vessels which in the usual course of their employment proceed outside the line dividing the inland waters from the high seas as designated and determined under the provisions of section 151 of Title 33.

Seagoing barges; hulls and equipment

46 U.S.C. 395

(a) The head of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall require the Coast Guard to inspect, before the same shall be put into service and at least once in every year thereafter, the hull and equipment of every seagoing barge of one hundred gross tons or over carrying passengers; and to determine to its satisfaction that such barge is of a structure suitable for the service in which she is to be employed, has suitable accommodations for the crew and passengers, and is in a condition to warrant the belief that she may be used in navigation with safety to life.

(b) The head of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating also shall require the Coast Guard to inspect, before the same shall be put into service and at least once in every two years thereafter, the hull and equipment of every seagoing barge of one hundred gross tons or over, not carrying passengers; and to determine to its satisfaction that such barge is of a structure suitable for the service in which she is to be employed, has suitable accommodations for the crew, if manned, and is in a condition to warrant the belief that she may be used in navigation with safety to life.

(c) Upon the satisfactory completion of the inspection authorized herein, a certificate of inspection shall be issued in the manner and for the purposes prescribed in sections 399 and 400 of this title. Certificate of inspection and equipment of barge required 46 U.S.C. 397

A register, enrollment, or license shall not be issued or renewed by any collector or other officer of customs to any such barge unless at the time of issue or renewal such barge has in force the certificate of inspection prescribed by section 395 of this title and on board the equipment prescribed by section 481 of this title.

Navigating barge without certificate or equipment prescribed 46 U.S.C. 398

If any such barge shall be navigated without such certificate of inspection, the owner shall be liable to a penalty of $500 for such offense.