21 USC § 955 - Possession on board vessels, etc., arriving in or departing from United States

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s955"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "21 USC § 955 - Possession on board vessels, etc., arriving in or departing from United States"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
section_number: "955"
section_name: "Possession on board vessels, etc., arriving in or departing from United States"
chapter_number: 13
chapter_name: "DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "IMPORT AND EXPORT"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 91–513, title III, § 1005, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1287.)"
---


# § 955. Possession on board vessels, etc., arriving in or departing from United States

It shall be unlawful for any person to bring or possess on board any vessel or aircraft, or on board any vehicle of a carrier, arriving in or departing from the United States or the customs territory of the United States, a controlled substance in schedule I or II or a narcotic drug in schedule III or IV, unless such substance or drug is a part of the cargo entered in the manifest or part of the official supplies of the vessel, aircraft, or vehicle.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 91–513, title III, § 1005, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1287.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Schedules I, II, III, and IV, referred to in text, are set out in .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective on first day of seventh calendar month that begins after , see 1105(a) of , set out as a under .