(a) A person willfully violating this chapter or a regulation prescribed under this chapter shall be fined not more than $5,000, imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
(b) A person violating this chapter or a regulation prescribed under this chapter is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000. If the violation involves the operation of a vessel, the vessel also is liable in rem for the penalty.
(c) When a civil penalty of not more than $200 has been assessed under this chapter, the Secretary may refer the matter of collection of the penalty directly to the United States magistrate judge of the jurisdiction in which the person liable may be found for collection procedures under supervision of the district court and under an order issued by the court delegating this authority under section 636(b) of title 28.
(
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 12309(a) | 46:1483 |
| 12309(b) | 46:1484(b) |
| 12309(c) | 46:1484(d) |
Section 12309 provides for civil and criminal penalties for violation of the vessel numbering provisions in this title.
"United States magistrate judge" substituted for "United States magistrate" in subsec. (c) pursuant to section 321 of