14 USC § 549 - Lighthouse and other sites; necessity and sufficiency of cession by State of jurisdiction

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t14/s549"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "14 USC § 549 - Lighthouse and other sites; necessity and sufficiency of cession by State of jurisdiction"
title_number: 14
title_name: "COAST GUARD"
section_number: "549"
section_name: "Lighthouse and other sites; necessity and sufficiency of cession by State of jurisdiction"
chapter_number: 5
chapter_name: "FUNCTIONS AND POWERS"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "AIDS TO NAVIGATION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8509(b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4756.)"
---


# § 549. Lighthouse and other sites; necessity and sufficiency of cession by State of jurisdiction

**(a)** No lighthouse, beacon, public pier, or landmark, shall be built or erected on any site until cession of jurisdiction over the same has been made to the United States.

**(b)** For the purposes of subsection (a), a cession by a State of jurisdiction over a place selected as the site of a lighthouse, or other structure or work referred to in subsection (a), shall be deemed sufficient if the cession contains a reservation that process issued under authority of such State may continue to be served within such place.

**(c)** If no reservation of service described in subsection (b) is contained in a cession, all process may be served and executed within the place ceded, in the same manner as if no cession had been made.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8509(b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4756.)