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4-201.Liens in general.

Article IV. Attachment · Part 2. Watercraft · Last amended 2007 · Last verified July 20, 2026

In one sentenceSection 4-201 creates a lien on Illinois watercraft over five tons for unpaid supplies, repairs, dock charges, towage, a broken shipping contract, or injuries the vessel's operation caused.

Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/4-201

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Every sail vessel, steamboat, steam dredge, tug boat, scow, canal boat, barge, lighter, and other water craft of above five tons burthen, used or intended to be used in navigating the waters or canals of this State, or used in trade and commerce between ports and places within this State, or having their home port in this State, shall be subject to a lien thereon, which lien shall extend to the tackle, apparel and furniture of such craft, as follows:
1. For all debts contracted by the owner or part owner, master, clerk, steward, agent or ship's husband of such craft, on account of supplies and provisions furnished for the use of such water craft, on account of work done or services rendered on board of such craft by any seaman, master or other employee thereof, or on account of work done or materials furnished by mechanics, tradesmen or others, in or about the building, repairing, fitting, furnishing or equipping such craft.
2. For all sums due for wharfage, anchorage or dock hire, including the use of dry docks.
3. For sums due for towage, labor at pumping out or raising, when sunk or disabled, and to shipshusband or agent of such water craft, for disbursement due by the owner on account of such water craft.
4. For all damages arising for the nonperformance of any contract of affreightment, or of any contract touching the transportation of property entered into by the master, owner, agent or consignee of such water craft, where any such contract is made in this state.
5. For all damages arising from injuries done to persons or property by such water craft, whether the same are aboard said vessel or not, where the same shall have occurred through the negligence or misconduct of the owner, agent, master or employee thereon; but the craft shall not be liable for any injury or damage received by one of the crew from another member of the crew.

Plain-English Summary

This section is the foundation of Part 2. It puts a lien on any sail vessel, steamboat, tug, scow, barge, or other craft over five tons that works Illinois waters or canals, trades between Illinois ports, or calls Illinois home port. The lien reaches not just the hull but the tackle, apparel, and furniture aboard.

Five categories of debt can support the lien: money owed for supplies, provisions, or work furnished to the craft (including repair and outfitting work by mechanics and tradesmen); wharfage, anchorage, or dock hire, including dry-dock use; towage and pumping-out charges, plus an agent's disbursements on the owner's behalf; damages for failing to perform a shipping contract made in Illinois; and damages from injuries the craft caused through the owner's, agent's, master's, or crew's negligence or misconduct — except injuries one crew member causes another.

Everything that follows in Part 2 — the complaint, the bond, the attachment order, the sale, and the distribution of proceeds — exists to enforce the lien this section creates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of watercraft does the Section 4-201 lien cover?

Any sail vessel, steamboat, steam dredge, tug, scow, canal boat, barge, or lighter over five tons that is used or intended for use on Illinois waters or canals, used in trade between Illinois ports, or home-ported in Illinois.

Who can claim a lien under this section?

Anyone owed money for supplies or provisions furnished to the craft, work done aboard it, materials or labor spent building or repairing it, wharfage or dock hire, towage or pumping charges, an unperformed shipping contract made in Illinois, or injuries the craft caused through negligence.

Does the lien cover an injury one crew member causes another?

No. The section expressly excludes the craft's liability for an injury one member of the crew inflicts on another.

What must a claim based on a shipping contract show?

That the contract of affreightment or other contract for transporting property was made in Illinois.

Is this the same lien federal admiralty law recognizes?

No. This is a distinct Illinois statutory lien enforced through the state circuit courts under Part 2's own procedure, not a federal maritime lien.

Amendment History

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: illinois boat lien lawwatercraft lien illinoismaritime lien illinois statuteboat repair lien illinoisvessel supplies lien illinoisillinois ship lien statute