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46 USC § 12120 - Liquified gas tankers 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s12120"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 12120 - Liquified gas tankers"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "12120"
section_name: "Liquified gas tankers"
chapter_number: 121
chapter_name: "DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "ENDORSEMENTS AND SPECIAL DOCUMENTATION"
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. 1504.)"
---

# § 12120. Liquified gas tankers

Notwithstanding any agreement with the United States Government, the Secretary may issue a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement for a vessel to transport liquified natural gas or liquified petroleum gas to Puerto Rico from other ports in the United States, if the vessel—

**(1)** is a foreign built vessel that was built before October 19, 1996; or

**(2)** was documented under this chapter before that date, even if the vessel is placed under a foreign registry and subsequently redocumented under this chapter for operation under this section.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 5, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1504.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 12120 | 46 App.:883 note. | Pub. L. 104–324, title VII, § 1120(f), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3978. |

The words “Notwithstanding section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883), , United States Code, section 506 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1156)” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “the Commonwealth of” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency in the revised title.

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 12120, , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , originally derived from section 65t of former Title 46, Shipping, related to reports, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by . See .