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Title 14 — Coast Guard

Chapter 5 — Functions and Powers

§ 543. Interference with aids to navigation; penalty

Statutory text

It shall be unlawful for any person, or public body, or instrumentality, excluding the armed forces, to remove, change the location of, obstruct, wilfully damage, make fast to, or interfere with any aid to navigation established, installed, operated, or maintained by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 541 of this title, or with any aid to navigation lawfully maintained under authority granted by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 542 of this title, or to anchor any vessel in any of the navigable waters of the United States so as to obstruct or interfere with range lights maintained therein. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $1,500 for each offense. Each day during which such violation shall continue shall be considered as a new offense.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Title 14, United States Code, section —

    Pub. L. 81–393 · 63 Stat. 495

    Enacted · 14 U.S.C. § 543

    Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 84

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 84

  2. Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014

    Pub. L. 113–281 title II § 205(a)(2) · 128 Stat. 3022

    Substituted · 14 U.S.C. § 543

    Pub. L. 113–281 substituted “$1,500” for “$500”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 113–281 substituted “$1,500” for “$500”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (2) in section 84 by striking “$500” and inserting “$1,500”;

  3. Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018

    Pub. L. 115–282 § 123(b)(2) · 132 Stat. 4192

    1. Substituted · 14 U.S.C. § 543

      Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 541” for “section 81”

    2. Substituted · 14 U.S.C. § 543

      Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 542” for “section 83”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 541” for “section 81” and “section 542” for “section 83”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (2) Title 14.— In title 14, United States Code, each reference in the text of such title to a source 49 USC 303–305, 308, 313, 317, 504, 528, 543, 717, 908, 1106, 1107, 1110, 1133, 1171, 1904, 1945, 2107–2110, 2113, 2115–2125, 2142–2146, 2148–2151, 2159–2164, 2307, 2311, 2315, 2734, 2922, 2945, 2946, 3711, 3731, 3734, 3735, 3737, 3740, 3742, 3743, 3747, 3749, 3752, 3901, 3902, 3908, 3909, 3911, 5101, 5103, 5104, 5107. section is amended by striking such reference and inserting a reference to the appropriate, as determined using the tables located in this title, redesignated section.

  4. Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018

    Pub. L. 115–282 § 105(b) · 132 Stat. 4192

    Changed · 14 U.S.C. § 543

    Pub. L. 115–282, § 105(b), renumbered section 84 of this title as this section

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 115–282, § 105(b), renumbered section 84 of this title as this section.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (b) Redesignations and Transfers.— (1) Requirement.— The sections of title 14, United States Code, identified in the table provided in paragraph (2) are amended— (A) by redesignating the sections as described in the table; and (B) by transferring the sections, as necessary, so that the sections appear after the table of sections for chapter 5 of such title (as added by subsection (a)), in the order in which the sections are presented in the table. (2) Table.— The table referred to in paragraph (1) is the following: Title 14 section number before redesignationSection heading (provided for identification purposes only-not amended)Title 14 section number after redesignation 92Secretary; general powers501 631Delegation of powers by the Secretary502 633Regulations503 93Commandant; general powers504 632Functions and powers vested in the Commandant505 520Prospective payment of funds necessary to provide medical care506 153Appointment of judges507 88Saving life and property521 89Law enforcement522 99Enforcement authority523 100Enforcement of coastwise trade laws524 95Special agents of the Coast Guard Investigative Service law enforcement authority525 637Stopping vessels; indemnity for firing at or into vessel526 91Safety of naval vessels527 104Protecting against unmanned aircraft528 81Aids to navigation authorized541 83Unauthorized aids to maritime navigation; penalty542 84Interference with aids to navigation; penalty543 85Aids to maritime navigation; penalty544 86Marking of obstructions545 642Deposit of damage payments546 643Rewards for apprehension of persons interfering with aids to navigation547 87Icebreaking in polar regions561 101Appeals and waivers562 103Notification of certain determinations563

4 of 5 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 33, U.S.C., 1946, ed., §§ 761, 762 (May 14, 1908, ch. 168, § 6, 35 Stat. 162; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, § 6, 36 Stat. 538; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, § 8, 38 Stat. 928; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 2(a), eff. , 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1432).

Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 543 was renumbered section 2905 of this title.

Amendments2014–2018 · 2 rounds

2018

Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 541” for “section 81” and “section 542” for “section 83”.

Pub. L. 115–282, § 105(b), renumbered section 84 of this title as this section.

2014

Pub. L. 113–281 substituted “$1,500” for “$500”.

Credits

1949–2018 · 3 acts
  1. 1949Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 84
  2. 2014Pub. L. 113–281, title II, § 205(a)(2), , 128 Stat. 3025
  3. 2018renumbered § 543 and amended Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 105(b), 123(b)(2), , 132 Stat. 4200, 4240.
Show as published

(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 84; Pub. L. 113–281, title II, § 205(a)(2), , 128 Stat. 3025; renumbered § 543 and amended Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 105(b), 123(b)(2), , 132 Stat. 4200, 4240.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc14.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-03-26

USLM identifier /us/usc/t14/s543