10 USC § 8172 - Marine Corps organizations on vessels: authority of officers

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s8172"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 8172 - Marine Corps organizations on vessels: authority of officers"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "8172"
section_name: "Marine Corps organizations on vessels: authority of officers"
chapter_number: 821
chapter_name: "OFFICERS IN COMMAND"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 372, § 5952; renumbered § 8172, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(5), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)"
---


# § 8172. Marine Corps organizations on vessels: authority of officers

When an organization of the Marine Corps is embarked in any vessel, not as part of the authorized complement of the vessel, the authority of the officers of that organization is the same as though the organization were serving at a naval station. However, this section does not impair the paramount authority of the commanding officer of a vessel over the vessel and all persons embarked in it.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 372, § 5952; renumbered § 8172, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(5), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5952 | 34 U.S.C. 623c. | May 5, 1950, ch. 169, § 7(b), 64 Stat. 145. |

The words “organization of the Marine Corps” are substituted for “force of marines” for clarity. The words “or vessels”, “and powers”, “on shore”, and “under his command” are omitted as surplusage.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .