Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§479 Uttering counterfeit foreign obligations or securities
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 25— - COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY › § 479
Summary
In the United States, anyone who knowingly and with the intent to cheat uses, offers, or tries to pass off as payment any fake, forged, or counterfeit government or financial paper — for example, bonds, certificates, notes, bills, or promises to pay — commits a crime, even if the paper was made or forged outside the United States. They must be fined under federal law, or imprisoned for up to 20 years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §479
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, within the United States, knowingly and with intent to defraud, utters, passes, or puts off, in payment or negotiation, any false, forged, or counterfeited bond, certificate, obligation, security, treasury note, bill, or promise to pay, mentioned in section 478 of this title, whether or not the same was made, altered, forged, or counterfeited within the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 271 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 157, 35 Stat. 1118). Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. Changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2001—Pub. L. 107–56 substituted “20 years” for “three years”. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $3,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 479
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73