U.S. Code » Title 46 » Subtitle Subtitle II— Vessels and Seamen › Part Part E— Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents › Chapter CHAPTER 75— GENERAL PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND DOCUMENTATION

46 U.S.C. § 7511

Convicted sex offender as grounds for denial

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(a)Sexual Abuse.—A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document authorized to be issued under this part shall be denied to an individual who has been convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under—(1) chapter 109A of title 18, except for subsection (b) of section 2244 of title 18;(2) section 920 or 920b of title 10 (article 120 and 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice); or(3) a substantially similar offense under Federal, State, local, or Tribal law.(b)Abusive Sexual Contact.—A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner’s document authorized to be issued under this part may be denied to an individual who within 5 years before applying for the license, certificate, or document, has been convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under subsection (b) of section 2244 of title 18, or a substantially similar offense under State, local, or Tribal law.(Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXVI, § 11602(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4147; amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXIII, § 7301(g)(3), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1756.)Editorial NotesAmendments

2025—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(A), struck out “or” after “title 18;”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(D), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3).

Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(B), substituted “Federal, State, local, or Tribal law” for “State, local, or Tribal law”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7301(g)(3)(C), redesignated par. (2) as (3).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2024–2026 · leading case: Reid v. Mayorkas (D.D.C. 2024).
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Reid v. Mayorkas (D.D.C. 2024). · cites it 8× “Plaintiffs sued the Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard, claiming that the Coast Guard incorrectly applied this provision to their requests to renew their Merchant Mariner Credentials (“MMCs”) in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”), the Merchant…”
Mullen v. Dep't of Homeland Sec. (E.D. La. 2025). “The Coast Guard notified him that 46 U.S.C. § 7511 required denial on account of his 2006 conviction for Forcible Rape, an applicable sexual offense under state law.”
Reid v. Mayorkas (D.D.C. 2026). “This admission responded to Plaintiffs’ allegation that “[o]n July 11, 2024, Plaintiffs through Counsel, submitted an expedited FOIA request to the Coast Guard via email for all MMC renewals that were denied under 46 U.S.C. § 7511 (a),” among other requests.”
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