Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§483 Uttering counterfeit foreign bank notes
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 25— - COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY › § 483
Summary
Knowingly passing or trying to pay with a counterfeit bank note covered under section 482 in the U.S. to defraud someone is a crime. It can bring a fine or up to 20 years in jail, even if the fake was made abroad.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §483
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, within the United States, utters, passes, puts off, or tenders in payment, with intent to defraud, any such false, forged, altered, or counterfeited bank note or bill, mentioned in section 482 of this title, knowing the same to be so false, forged, altered, and counterfeited, whether or not the same was made, forged, altered, 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., § 273 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 159, 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 “one year”. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 483
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73