Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§475 Imitating obligations or securities; advertisements
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 25— - COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY › § 475
Summary
Making or using business or professional cards, notices, or ads that look like U.S. government obligations or securities, or attaching them to those obligations or to U.S. coins, is illegal and can lead to a federal fine. Evidence of postage payment approved by USPS is not covered.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §475
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever designs, engraves, prints, makes, or executes, or utters, issues, distributes, circulates, or uses any business or professional card, notice, placard, circular, handbill, or advertisement in the likeness or similitude of any obligation or security of the United States issued under or authorized by any Act of Congress or writes, prints, or otherwise impresses upon or attaches to any such instrument, obligation, or security, or any coin of the United States, any business or professional card, notice, or advertisement, or any notice or advertisement whatever, shall be fined under this title. Nothing in this section applies to evidence of postage payment approved by the United States Postal Service.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 292 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 177, 35 Stat. 1122). Enumeration of obligations of the United States was omitted in view of definition in section 8 of this title. Changes in phraseology were also made.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Pub. L. 109–162 inserted at end “Nothing in this section applies to evidence of postage payment approved by the United States Postal Service.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500”. 1951—Act July 16, 1951, prohibited use of notices or advertising prints or labels on United States coins.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 475
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73