43 U.S.C. § 2105 — Rights of ownership

(a) United States title The United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck^* that is— (1) embedded^* in submerged lands^* of a State^*; (2) embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on submerged lands of a State; or (3) on submerged lands of a State and is included in or determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register^*.

(b) Notice of shipwreck location; eligibility determination for inclusion in National Register of Historic Places The public is given adequate notice of the location of any shipwreck to which title is asserted under this section. The Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Officer, must make a written determination that an abandoned shipwreck meets the criteria for eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under clause (a)(3).
(c) Transfer of title to States The title of the United States to any abandoned shipwreck asserted under subsection (a) of this section is transferred to the State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located.
(d) Exception Any abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands^* of the United States is the property of the United States Government. Any abandoned shipwreck in or on any Indian lands^* is the property of the Indian tribe^* owning those lands.

(e) Reservation of rights This section does not affect any right reserved by the United States or by any State (including any right reserved for Indian lands) under— (1) section 1311, 1313, or 1314 of this title; or (2) section 414 or 415 of title 33.