10 USC § 451 - Maps, charts, books, and datasets

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s451"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 451 - Maps, charts, books, and datasets"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "451"
section_name: "Maps, charts, books, and datasets"
chapter_number: 22
chapter_name: "NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "MAPS, CHARTS, AND GEOMATICS PRODUCTS"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 97–295, § 1(50)(C), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1299, § 2792; renumbered § 451 and amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XI, § 1112(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2682; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title IX, § 921(d)(2)(A), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1568; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVI, § 1621(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4053.)"
---


# § 451. Maps, charts, books, and datasets

The Secretary of Defense may—

**(1)** have the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency prepare nautical and aeronautical charts, topographic and geomatics maps, books, models, and datasets required in navigation and have those materials published and furnished to navigators; and

**(2)** acquire (by purchase, lease, license, or barter) all necessary rights, including copyrights and other intellectual property rights, required to prepare, publish, and furnish to navigators the products described in paragraph (1).

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 97–295, § 1(50)(C), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1299, § 2792; renumbered § 451 and amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XI, § 1112(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2682; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title IX, § 921(d)(2)(A), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1568; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVI, § 1621(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4053.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2792 | 10:7392. |  |

In the section, the words “Secretary of Defense” and “Defense Mapping Agency” are substituted for “Secretary of the Navy” and “United States Naval Oceanographic Office”, respectively, for consistency with 10:2791. The words “under such regulations as he prescribes” are omitted as unnecessary.

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 451 was renumbered .

### Amendments

2021—, substituted “books, and datasets” for “and books” in section catchline.

Par. (1). , substituted “nautical and aeronautical charts, topographic and geomatics maps, books, models, and datasets” for “maps, charts, and nautical books”.

Par. (2). , amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “buy the plates and copyrights of existing maps, charts, books on navigation, and sailing directions and instructions.”

2003—Par. (1).  substituted “National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency” for “National Imagery and Mapping Agency”.

1996— renumbered  as this section and substituted “National Imagery and Mapping Agency” for “Defense Mapping Agency” in par. (1).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .