U.S. Code » Title 46 » Subtitle Subtitle III— Maritime Liability › Chapter CHAPTER 311— SUITS INVOLVING PUBLIC VESSELS

46 U.S.C. § 31104

Venue

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(a)In General.—A civil action under this chapter shall be brought in the district court of the United States for the district in which the vessel or cargo is found within the United States.(b)Vessel or Cargo Outside Territorial Waters.—If the vessel or cargo is outside the territorial waters of the United States—(1) the action shall be brought in the district court of the United States for any district in which any plaintiff resides or has an office for the transaction of business; or(2) if no plaintiff resides or has an office for the transaction of business in the United States, the action may be brought in the district court of the United States for any district.(Pub. L. 109–304, § 6(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1521.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised

Section

Source (U.S. Code)

Source (Statutes at Large)

31104

46 App.:782 (1st sentence).

Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 428, § 2 (1st sentence), 43 Stat. 1112.

In subsection (a), the words “charged with creating the liability” are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsection (b)(2), the words “in the United States” are omitted as unnecessary.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 6 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2011–2025 · leading case: Dillon v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 3d 49 (D.D.C. 2019).
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Dillon v. United States, 357 F. Supp. 3d 49 (D.D.C. 2019). · cites it 3× “" 46 U.S.C. § 31104 (a). If the vessel is not within the territorial waters of the United States when the action is filed, venue is proper "in the district court of the United States for any district in which any plaintiff resides or has an office for the transaction of business.”
Wade v. Bordelon Marine, Inc., 770 F. Supp. 2d 822 (E.D. La. 2011). “46 U.S.C. § 31104 (a). The district where the vessel is found is the district in which the vessel is physically located at the time the complaint is filed.”
In Re: Nat'l Park Serv. & Pub. Vessels Buoy Tender No. 450, No. 257, No. 2510, No. 256, No. 2511, No. 290 (D. Utah 2020). · cites it 3× “Therefore, the SIAA’s (and Rule F(9)’s) venue transfer provision is inconsistent with the PVA. Because the public vessels which are the subject of this case were found in Utah when the United States initiated the case,26 the District of Utah is the only proper venue for this…”
Gimutao v. United States (S.D. Cal. 2020). · cites it 2× “5, 5 (quoting 46 U.S.C. § 31104 (a)). A public vessel is “found” in the district in 13 which it is physically present when the complaint is filed.”
Dillon v. United States (D. Mass. 2019). · cites it 2× “” 46 U.S.C. § 31104 (b). Similarly, the SIAA provides that, in suits in admiralty against the United States, venue is proper in the district court for the district in which “(1) any plaintiff resides or has its principle place of business; or (2) the vessel or cargo is found.”
Merced v. United States (D. Or. 2025). “46 U.S.C. § 31104 (a). B. Jones Act Negligence 3.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.