46 USC § 12106 - Surrender of title and number

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s12106"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 12106 - Surrender of title and number"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "12106"
section_name: "Surrender of title and number"
chapter_number: 121
chapter_name: "DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "H"
part_name: "Identification of Vessels"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1494.)"
---


# § 12106. Surrender of title and number

**(a)** **In General.—** A documented vessel may not be titled by a State or required to display numbers under chapter 123 of this title, and any certificate of title issued by a State for a documented vessel shall be surrendered as provided by regulations prescribed by the Secretary.

**(b)** **Vessels Covered by Preferred Mortgage.—** The Secretary may approve the surrender under subsection (a) of a certificate of title for a vessel covered by a preferred mortgage under section 31322(d) of this title only if the mortgagee consents.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1494.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 12106 | 46:12124. |  |

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 12106, , , ; , , ; , (3), , ; , , ; , , ; , title XI, § 1113(d), , , 3971; , , , originally derived from section 65i of former Title 46, Shipping, related to coastwise endorsements, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by . See sections 12102, 12112, 12116, 12117, and 12119 of this title.