{"data":{"id":"us/47-u.s.c.-353","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"47 U.S.C. § 353","heading":"Radio equipment and operators","body":"(a) Two radio officers requiredEach cargo ship which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station and which is not equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, and each passenger ship required by this part to be equipped with a radiotelegraph station, shall, for safety purposes, carry at least two radio officers. (b) One radio officer requiredA cargo ship which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station, which is equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, shall, for safety purposes, carry at least one radio officer who shall have had at least six months’ previous service in the aggregate as a radio officer in a station on board a ship or ships of the United States. (c) Required watchesEach ship of the United States which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station shall, while being navigated in the open sea outside of a harbor or port, keep a continuous watch by means of radio officers whenever the station is not being used for authorized traffic: Provided, That, in lieu thereof, on a cargo ship equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm in proper operating condition, a watch of at least eight hours per day, in the aggregate, shall be maintained by means of a radio officer. (d) Hours of watchThe Commission shall, when it finds it necessary for safety purposes, have authority to prescribe the particular hours of watch on a ship of the United States which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station. (e) Operational status of auto alarms in open seaOn all ships of the United States equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, said apparatus shall be in operation at all times while the ship is being navigated in the open sea outside of a harbor or port when the radio officer is not on watch.","path":["Title 47—TELECOMMUNICATIONS","CHAPTER 5—WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION"],"source_url":"https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/103/xml_usc47@119-103.zip","current_through":"Public Law 119-103 (09/02/2026)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-10T06:00:57Z","sha256":"d3ca9251d6b7e78fc6f37d1aaf7da9a5981f351197b9e09399e5b358afcc2a02","source_id":"us","stale":false,"prev":"us/47-u.s.c.-352","next":"us/47-u.s.c.-353a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}