Code of Federal Regulations Title 19. Customs Duties § 19.4.5 Government vessels

(a) No report of arrival or entry shall be required of any vessel owned by, or under the complete control and management of the United States or any of its agencies, if such vessel is manned wholly by members of the uniformed services of the United States, by personnel in the civil service of the United States, or by both, and is transporting only property of the United States or passengers traveling on official business of the United States, or it is ballast. In addition, any vessel chartered by, and transporting only cargo that is the property of, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will be treated as a Government vessel for the purpose of being exempt from entry, where the DoD–chartered vessel is manned entirely by the civilian crew of the vessel carrier under contract to DoD. Notwithstanding § 4.60(b)(3) of this part, such DoD–chartered vessel is not exempt from vessel clearance requirements. However, if any cargo is on board, the master or commander of each such vessel arriving from abroad shall file a Cargo Declaration, Customs Form 1302, or an equivalent form issued by the Department of Defense, in duplicate. The original of each Cargo Declaration or equivalent form required under this paragraph shall be filed with the port director within 48 hours after the arrival of the vessel. The other copy shall be made available for use by the discharging inspector at the pier. See § 148.73 of this chapter with respect to baggage on carriers operated by the Department of Defense.

(b) The arrival of every vessel owned or controlled and manned as described in paragraph (a) of this section but transporting other property or passengers, and every vessel so owned or controlled but not so manned, whether in ballast or transporting cargo or passengers, shall be reported in accordance with § 4.2 and the vessel shall be entered in accordance with § 4.9.

(c) Every vessel owned by, or under the complete control and management of, any foreign nation shall be exempt from or subject to the laws relating to report of arrival and entry under the same conditions as a vessel owned or controlled by the United States.