Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1694 Carriage of matter out of mail over post routes
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 83— - POSTAL SERVICE › § 1694
Summary
Operators of land, air, or water vehicles that regularly run mail routes must not carry letters or packets outside the mail. Only letters tied to the cargo, the carrier’s business, or other items on board are allowed; violators can be fined under federal law.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1694
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, having charge or control of any conveyance operating by land, air, or water, which regularly performs trips at stated periods on any post route, or from one place to another between which the mail is regularly carried, carries, otherwise than in the mail, any letters or packets, except such as relate to some part of the cargo of such conveyance, or to the current business of the carrier, or to some article carried at the same time by the same conveyance, shall, except as otherwise provided by law, be fined under this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 307 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 184, 35 Stat. 1124). Words “by land, air, or water” were substituted for “stagecoach, railway car, steamboat” with necessary minor changes in phraseology. Enumeration of persons having charge was omitted as unnecessary.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $50”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Study of Private Carriage of Mail; Reports to President and CongressCongressional findings of need for study and reevaluation of restrictions on private carriage of letters and packets contained in this section and submission by United States Postal Service of reports to President and Congress for modernization of law,
Regulations
, and administrative practices, see section 7 of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note under section 601 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1694
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73