46 USC 12503 – Information available to the system
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a State or a State’s delegate approved by the Secretary of Transportation may make information available to the Secretary if, in a manner and form prescribed by the Secretary, the State—
(1) identifies the vessel;
(2) identifies the owner of the vessel, including by—
(A) the owner’s social security number or, if that number is not available, other means of identification acceptable to the Secretary; or
(B) for an owner other than an individual—
(i) the owner’s taxpayer identification number; or
(ii) if the owner does not have a taxpayer identification number, the social security number of an individual who is a corporate officer, general partner, or individual trustee of the owner and who signed the application for documentation or numbering for the vessel;
(3) identifies the State in which it is titled or numbered;
(4) indicates whether the vessel is numbered or titled, or both;
(5) if titled in a State, indicates where evidence of a lien or other security interest may be found against the vessel in that State;
(6) includes information to assist law enforcement; and
(7) includes other information agreed to by the Secretary and the State.
Terms Used In 46 USC 12503
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
- vessel: includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. See 1 USC 3
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, the Secretary also may accept information under conditions and in a manner and form prescribed by the Secretary.
(c) The Secretary shall—
(1) retain information on a vessel with a preferred mortgage under section 31322(d) of this title that is no longer titled in a State making information available to the Secretary under this chapter until the mortgage is discharged or the vessel is sold; and
(2) accept information under section 31321(h) of this title only if that information cannot be provided to a State.