To amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a crime for altering, removing, or affixing unauthorized vessel identification numbers and trafficking certain vessels, and for other purposes.
The Vessel Identification Protection Act of 2026 creates two new federal crimes related to vessel identification numbers. First, it makes it illegal for anyone to knowingly alter, remove, tamper with, or obscure hull identification numbers or other vessel identification markings, or to affix fake identification numbers to vessels engaged in interstate commerce. Second, it criminalizes trafficking in vessels with altered or missing identification numbers when someone knowingly buys or possesses such a vessel intending to sell it. The penalties are substantial: up to five years in prison and fines for tampering with identification numbers, and up to ten years in prison and fines for trafficking in vessels with compromised identification numbers. The law includes exceptions for authorized removals by the Coast Guard and for damage caused by collisions, allisions, or fire. The legislation targets interstate commerce in vessels and aims to combat vessel theft and the sale of stolen or illegally modified boats.
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