Title 46 — Shipping
Part E · Chapter 73 — Merchant Mariners’ Documents
§ 7307. Able seamen—unlimited
Statutory text
The required service for the endorsement of able seaman—unlimited, qualified for unlimited service on a vessel on any waters, is at least 18 months 1 service on deck on board vessels operating at sea or on the Great Lakes.
Footnotes
- 1 So in original. Probably should be “18 months’ ”.
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.
Pub. L. 98–89 · 97 Stat. 500
Enacted · 46 U.S.C. § 7307
Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 543
Source evidence
Code source credit
Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 543Pub. L. 119–60 div. G title LXXIII § 7301(d)(2) · 139 Stat. 1753
Substituted · 46 U.S.C. § 7307
Pub. L. 119–60, which directed amendment of this section by substituting “18 months” for “3 years”, was executed by making the substitution for “3 years’ ” to reflect the probable intent of Congress
Unresolved: Pub. L. 119–60 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Pub. L. 119–60, which directed amendment of this section by substituting “18 months” for “3 years”, was executed by making the substitution for “3 years’ ” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
0 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial · 1 unresolved
Notes
historicalAndRevision
| Historical and Revision Notes | |
|---|---|
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 7307 | 46:672(b)(1) |
Section 7307 requires individuals to have at least 3 years service on deck on vessels operating at sea or on the Great Lakes before their merchant mariner’s documents can be endorsed as able seamen—unlimited.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2025—Pub. L. 119–60, which directed amendment of this section by substituting “18 months” for “3 years”, was executed by making the substitution for “3 years’ ” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Temporary Reduction of Lengths of Certain Periods of Service
Pub. L. 118–31, div. C, title XXXV, § 3534(j), , 137 Stat. 833, provided that:
“For the 3-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act []—
“(1) section 7307 of title 46, United States Code, shall be applied by substituting ‘18 months’ for ‘3 years’;
“(2) section 7308 of such title shall be applied by substituting ‘12 months’ for ‘18 months’; and
“(3) section 7309 of such title shall be applied by substituting ‘6 months’ for ‘12 months’.”
Acceptance of Certain Services Toward Endorsement as Able Seaman
Service used to qualify for endorsement as able seaman—fishing industry to be accepted as qualifying service toward an endorsement under this section, see section 602(e)(3) of Pub. L. 101–595, set out as a note under section 7306 of this title.
Credits
1983–2025 · 2 acts
- 1983Pub. L. 98–89, , 97 Stat. 543
- 2025Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(d)(2), , 139 Stat. 1753.
Show as published
(Pub. L. 98–89, , 97 Stat. 543; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(d)(2), , 139 Stat. 1753.)