46 USC § 10302 - Shipping articles agreements

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s10302"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 10302 - Shipping articles agreements"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "10302"
section_name: "Shipping articles agreements"
chapter_number: 103
chapter_name: "FOREIGN AND INTERCOASTAL VOYAGES"
part_number: "G"
part_name: "Merchant Seamen Protection and Relief"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 561; Pub. L. 103–206, title IV, § 401, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2435.)"
---


# § 10302. Shipping articles agreements

**(a)** The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall make a shipping agreement in writing with each seaman before the seaman commences employment.

**(b)** The agreement shall contain the following:

**(1)** the nature, and, as far as practicable, the duration of the intended voyage, and the port or country in which the voyage is to end.

**(2)** the number and description of the crew and the capacity in which each seaman is to be engaged.

**(3)** the time at which each seaman is to be on board to begin work.

**(4)** the amount of wages each seaman is to receive.

**(5)** regulations about conduct on board, and information on fines, short allowance of provisions, and other punishment for misconduct provided by law.

**(6)** a scale of the provisions that are to be provided each seaman.

**(7)** any stipulation in reference to advances and allotments of wages.

**(8)** other matters not contrary to law.

**(c)** Each shipping agreement must be signed by the master or individual in charge or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by each seaman employed.

**(d)** The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall maintain the shipping agreement and make the shipping agreement available to the seaman.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 561; Pub. L. 103–206, title IV, § 401, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2435.)

| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| --- | --- |
| 10302 | 46:564 |

Section 10302 requires the master to make a shipping agreement with each crew member and lists the information that must be included in the agreement.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1993—Subsec. (a). , amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Before proceeding on a voyage, the master of a vessel to which this chapter applies shall make a shipping articles agreement in writing with each seaman in the crew.”

Subsecs. (c), (d). , added subsecs. (c) and (d).