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51 USC § 50912 - Administrative hearings and judicial review

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t51/s50912"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "51 USC § 50912 - Administrative hearings and judicial review"
title_number: 51
title_name: "NATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAMS"
section_number: "50912"
section_name: "Administrative hearings and judicial review"
chapter_number: 509
chapter_name: "COMMERCIAL SPACE LAUNCH ACTIVITIES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1335, § 70110 of title 49; Pub. L. 105–303, title I, § 102(a)(10), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2849; Pub. L. 108–492, § 2(c)(20), Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3981; renumbered § 70110 then § 50912 of title 51 and amended Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(L), (5)(M)–(P), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440–3442.)"
---

# § 50912. Administrative hearings and judicial review

**(a)** **Administrative Hearings.—** The Secretary of Transportation shall provide an opportunity for a hearing on the record to—

**(1)** an applicant under this chapter, for a decision of the Secretary under section 50905(a) or 50906 of this title to issue or transfer a license with terms or deny the issuance or transfer of a license;

**(2)** an owner or operator of a payload under this chapter, for a decision of the Secretary under section 50904(c) of this title to prevent the launch or reentry of the payload; and

**(3)** a licensee under this chapter, for a decision of the Secretary under—

**(A)** section 50908(b) or (c) of this title to modify, suspend, or revoke a license; or

**(B)** section 50909(a) of this title to prohibit, suspend, or end a launch or operation of a launch site or reentry site, or reentry of a reentry vehicle, licensed by the Secretary.

**(b)** **Judicial Review.—** A final action of the Secretary under this chapter is subject to judicial review as provided in chapter 7 of title 5.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1335, § 70110 of title 49; Pub. L. 105–303, title I, § 102(a)(10), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2849; Pub. L. 108–492, § 2(c)(20), Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 3981; renumbered § 70110 then § 50912 of title 51 and amended Pub. L. 111–314, § 4(d)(2), (3)(L), (5)(M)–(P), Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3440–3442.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70110(a)(1) | 49 App.:2611(a)(1) (1st sentence). | Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–575, § 12, 98 Stat. 3060. |
| 70110(a)(2) | 49 App.:2611(a)(1) (last sentence). |  |
| 70110(a)(3) | 49 App.:2611(a)(2). |  |
| 70110(b) | 49 App.:2611(b). |  |

In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “The Secretary of Transportation shall provide an opportunity for a hearing on the record to” are substituted for “shall be entitled to a determination on the record after an opportunity for a hearing” for consistency in the revised title. The words “in accordance with ” are omitted for consistency and because 5:554 applies to a hearing on the record unless otherwise stated. In clause (1), the words “and a proposed transferee of a license” are omitted as being included in “applicant”.

In subsection (b), the words “to issue, transfer, deny the issuance or transfer of, suspend, revoke, or modify a license or to terminate, prohibit, or suspend any launch or operation of a launch site licensed by the Secretary or to prevent the launch of a payload” are omitted as surplus.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2010—, (3)(L), successively renumbered  and  as this section.

Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “section 50905(a) or 50906” for “section 70105(a) or 70105a”.

Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “section 50904(c)” for “section 70104(c)”.

Subsec. (a)(3)(A). , substituted “section 50908(b) or (c)” for “section 70107(b) or (c)”.

Subsec. (a)(3)(B). , substituted “section 50909(a)” for “section 70108(a)”.

2004—Subsec. (a)(1).  inserted “or 70105a” after “70105(a)”.

1998—Subsec. (a)(2). , inserted “or reentry” after “prevent the launch”.

Subsec. (a)(3)(B). , inserted “or reentry site, or reentry of a reentry vehicle,” after “operation of a launch site”