46 USC § 10503 - Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s10503"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 10503 - Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "10503"
section_name: "Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents"
chapter_number: 105
chapter_name: "COASTWISE 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. 570.)"
---


# § 10503. Exhibiting merchant mariners’ documents

section 10502 of this titlesection 8701 of this title

Before signing the agreement required by , a seaman required by  to have a merchant mariner’s document shall exhibit to the master a document issued to the seaman and appropriately endorsed for the capacity in which the seaman is to serve.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 570.)

| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| --- | --- |
| 10503 | 46:643 |

Under section 10503 seamen who are required to have a merchant mariner’s document must exhibit it before signing a shipping agreement on a coastwise voyage.