Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§1735 Sexually oriented advertisements

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 83— - POSTAL SERVICE › § 1735

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Makes it illegal to on purpose use the mail to send or deliver sexually oriented ads in ways that break section 3010 of title 39 or the rules the Board of Governors makes under that section. It is also illegal to sell, rent, lease, lend, exchange, license, or otherwise provide or use a mailing list the Board keeps under section 3010, except as section 3010 specifically allows. The phrase "sexually oriented advertisement" means the same thing it does in section 3010(d) of title 39.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §1735

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever—
(1)willfully uses the mails for the mailing, carriage in the mails, or delivery of any sexually oriented advertisement in violation of section 3010 of title 39, or willfully violates any regulations of the Board of Governors issued under such section; or
(2)sells, leases, rents, lends, exchanges, or licenses the use of, or, except for the purpose expressly authorized by section 3010 of title 39, uses a mailing list maintained by the Board of Governors under such section;
(b)For the purposes of this section, the term “sexually oriented advertisement” shall have the same meaning as given it in section 3010(d) of title 39.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, in concluding provisions, substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “shall be” and for “fined not more than $10,000” after “and shall be”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on first day of sixth month which begins after Aug. 12, 1970, see section 15(b) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 1735

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73