Abandoned Shipwreck Act

This data represents the extent of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act (ASA). The ASA allows states to manage a broad range of resources within submerged lands, including abandoned shipwrecks that have been deserted and to which the owner has relinquished ownership rights with no retention. With the exception of wrecks on certain federal public lands, the ASA asserts U.S. title to abandoned shipwrecks and automatically transfers the title to coastal states. Citing to the Submerged Lands Act, the ASA generally extends seaward a distance of three nautical miles from the coastline to the inner limit of the outer continental shelf. In the cases of Texas, the Gulf coast of Florida, and Puerto Rico, the ASA extends seaward three marine leagues-or nine nautical miles-from the coastline. When investigating geo-regulatory boundaries near the boundary edges, users should consult the most up-to-date applicable jurisdictional boundaries from all respective authoritative sources.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/FHPL_AbndShipwreck.pdf
Date enacted: April 28, 1988
Codification: 43 U.S.C. Sec. 2101 et seq
Authority: U.S. National Park Service