46 U.S.C. § 7511 — Convicted sex offender as grounds for denial

(a) Sexual Abuse A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner's document authorized under this part must be denied to an individual convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under: (1) chapter 109A of title 18 (the federal sexual abuse chapter), except for the lesser offense in section 2244(b) of title 18; (2) section 920 or 920b of title 10 (rape and sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact, under Articles 120 and 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice); or (3) a substantially similar offense under federal, state, local, or Tribal law. (b) Abusive Sexual Contact A license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner's document authorized under this part may (not must) be denied to an individual who, within the 5 years before applying, was convicted of a sexual offense prohibited under section 2244(b) of title 18, or a substantially similar offense under state, local, or Tribal law.