46 USC § 31342 - Establishing maritime liens

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s31342"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 31342 - Establishing maritime liens"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "31342"
section_name: "Establishing maritime liens"
chapter_number: 313
chapter_name: "COMMERCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND MARITIME LIENS"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "MARITIME LIENS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 100–710, title I, § 102(c), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4748; Pub. L. 101–225, title III, § 303(6), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1924.)"
---


# § 31342. Establishing maritime liens

**(a)** Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person providing necessaries to a vessel on the order of the owner or a person authorized by the owner—

**(1)** has a maritime lien on the vessel;

**(2)** may bring a civil action in rem to enforce the lien; and

**(3)** is not required to allege or prove in the action that credit was given to the vessel.

**(b)** This section does not apply to a public vessel.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 100–710, title I, § 102(c), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4748; Pub. L. 101–225, title III, § 303(6), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1924.)

| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| --- | --- |
| 31342 | 46:971 |

Section 31342 provides that any authorized person providing necessaries for a vessel has a maritime lien on the vessel, may bring a civil action  in admiralty to enforce the lien, and is not required to allege or prove that credit was given to the vessel. “Providing” has been substituted for “furnishing” for consistency with other laws. This section makes no substantive change to law. This section does not supersede the prohibition under the Public Vessels Act, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, or the Suits in Admiralty Act, on bringing an  action against a public vessel.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1989— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person providing necessaries to a vessel on the order of the owner” for “A person providing necessaries to a vessel (except a public vessel) on the order of a person listed in ”, and added subsec. (b).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , with certain exceptions and qualifications, see , set out as a note under .