46 U.S.C. § 50501
Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
- (a)In this subtitle, a corporation, partnership, or association is deemed to be a citizen of the United States only if the controlling interest is owned by citizens of the United States. However, if the corporation, partnership, or association is operating a vessel in the coastwise trade, at least 75 percent of the interest must be owned by citizens of the United States.
- (b)In this subtitle, a corporation is deemed to be a citizen of the United States only if, in addition to satisfying the requirements in subsection (a)—
- (1)it is incorporated under the laws of the United States or a State;
- (2)its chief executive officer, by whatever title, and the chairman of its board of directors are citizens of the United States; and
- (3)no more of its directors are noncitizens than a minority of the number necessary to constitute a quorum.
- (c)The controlling interest in a corporation is owned by citizens of the United States under subsection (a) only if—
- (1)title to the majority of the stock in the corporation is vested in citizens of the United States free from any trust or fiduciary obligation in favor of a person not a citizen of the United States;
- (2)the majority of the voting power in the corporation is vested in citizens of the United States;
- (3)there is no contract or understanding by which the majority of the voting power in the corporation may be exercised, directly or indirectly, in behalf of a person not a citizen of the United States; and
- (4)there is no other means by which control of the corporation is given to or permitted to be exercised by a person not a citizen of the United States.
- (d)At least 75 percent of the interest in a corporation is owned by citizens of the United States under subsection (a) only if—
- (1)title to at least 75 percent of the stock in the corporation is vested in citizens of the United States free from any trust or fiduciary obligation in favor of a person not a citizen of the United States;
- (2)at least 75 percent of the voting power in the corporation is vested in citizens of the United States;
- (3)there is no contract or understanding by which more than 25 percent of the voting power in the corporation may be exercised, directly or indirectly, in behalf of a person not a citizen of the United States; and
- (4)there is no other means by which control of more than 25 percent of any interest in the corporation is given to or permitted to be exercised by a person not a citizen of the United States.