# § 1614. Release of seized property
section 1606 of this titlesection 1613 of this title
If any person claiming an interest in any vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage seized under the provisions of this chapter offers to pay the value of such vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage, as determined under , and it appears that such person has in fact a substantial interest therein, the appropriate customs officer may, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury if under the customs laws, or the Commandant of the Coast Guard or the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as the case may be, if under the navigation laws, accept such offer and release the vessel, vehicle, aircraft, merchandise, or baggage seized upon the payment of such value thereof, which shall be distributed in the order provided in .
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**Source Credit**: (June 17, 1930, ch. 497, title IV, § 614, 46 Stat. 757; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, §§ 101–104, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat. 1097; Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(b), June 2, 1970, 84 Stat. 287; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 321, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 98–573, title II, § 213(a)(12), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2987; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(d)(2), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 210.)
## Editorial Notes
### Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in , . That section was superseded by section 614 of act , comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act.
A prior provision authorizing collectors, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to release seized merchandise on payment of the appraised value when the appraised value did not exceed $1,000, were contained in R.S. § 3081, prior to repeal by , .
### Amendments
1984— and inserted reference to aircraft in three places.
1970— substituted reference to the appropriate customs officer for reference to the collector.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Change of Name
“Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection” substituted for “Commissioner of Customs” in text on authority of , set out as a note under , Domestic Security.
### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
For effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .
### Transfer of Functions
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of , set out as a note under .
For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of , as modified, set out as a note under . For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in as of , see , as amended generally by , and , set out as a note under .
## Executive Documents
### Transfer of Functions
Substitution in text of reference to Commandant of the Coast Guard or Commissioner of Customs for “the Secretary of Commerce” under the authority of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, see Transfer of Functions note set out under .