# § 1699. Certification of delivery from vessel
No vessel arriving within a port or collection district of the United States shall be allowed to make entry or break bulk until all letters on board are delivered to the nearest post office, except where waybilled for discharge at other ports in the United States at which the vessel is scheduled to call and the Postal Service does not determine that unreasonable delay in the mails will occur, and the master or other person having charge or control thereof has signed and sworn to the following declaration before the collector or other proper customs officer:
I, A. B., master ___, of the ___, arriving from ___, and now lying in the port of ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have to the best of my knowledge and belief delivered to the post office at ___ every letter and every bag, packet, or parcel of letters on board the said vessel during her last voyage, or in my possession or under my power or control, except where waybilled for discharge at other ports in the United States at which the said vessel is scheduled to call and which the Postal Service has not determined will be unreasonably delayed by remaining on board the said vessel for delivery at such ports.
Whoever, being the master or other person having charge or control of such vessel, breaks bulk before he has arranged for such delivery or onward carriage, shall be fined under this title.
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**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 777; July 3, 1952, ch. 553, 66 Stat. 325; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(15), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)
### Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 327 (, ).
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1994— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100” in last par.
1970— substituted “Postal Service” for “Postmaster General” in two places.
1952—Act , provided for only the unloading of mail from a vessel as can be expedited by discharge at such port.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
Amendment by effective within 1 year after , on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see , set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Postal Service.
## Executive Documents
### Transfer of Functions
Offices of collector of customs, comptroller of customs, surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchandise in Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treasury to which appointments were required to be made by President with advice and consent of Senate were ordered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than , by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1965, eff. , 30 F.R. 7035, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Functions of offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, eff. , 15 F.R. 4935, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5.