§506 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

It is a crime to make, change, or copy an official seal of a U.S. department or agency without authorization. It is also illegal to put a fake seal on any certificate, document, or paper, or to possess, sell, give away, transport, or import a fake seal when you mean to cheat or deceive someone. Even if other laws say something different, those acts are still illegal. Federal benefit means things like grants, contracts, loans, professional or commercial licenses, and benefits such as retirement, Social Security, health care, disability, veterans’ benefits, public housing, education, SNAP, unemployment, and similar government payments or help. Each time someone commits one of these seal offenses, it counts as a separate crime.

Title 18, §506

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever—

(1)falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof;

(2)knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or

(3)with fraudulent intent, possesses, sells, offers for sale, furnishes, offers to furnish, gives away, offers to give away, transports, offers to transport, imports, or offers to import any such seal or facsimile thereof, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered,

(b)Notwithstanding subsection (a) or any other provision of law, if a forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal of a department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof, is—

(1)so forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered;

(2)used, affixed, or impressed to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or

(3)with fraudulent intent, possessed, sold, offered for sale, furnished, offered to furnish, given away, offered to give away, transported, offered to transport, imported, or offered to import,

(c)For purposes of this section—

(1)the term “Federal benefit” means—

(A)the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by any agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and

(B)any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health (including treatment of an emergency medical condition in accordance with section 1903(v) of the Social Security Act (19 11 So in original. Probably should be “42”. U.S.C. 1396b(v))), disability, veterans, public housing, education, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits,22 So in original. The word “benefits” probably should not appear. or unemployment benefit, or any similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and

(2)each instance of forgery, counterfeiting, mutilation, or alteration shall constitute a separate offense under this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 131 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title X, § 2, 40 Stat. 228). Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. In view of definitions of department and agency in section 6 of this title, words “department or agency” in first paragraph were substituted for “executive department, or any bureau, commission, or office”. Provision for 10 years’ imprisonment was reduced to 5 years to conform to punishment provision in section 505 of this title, covering an offense of like gravity. Minor changes in phraseology were also made.

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110–246, § 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), substituted “supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits” for “food stamps”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–208 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States; or “Whoever knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper, of any description; or “Whoever, with fraudulent intent, possesses any such seal, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered— “Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture. Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.

§506 Seals of departments or agencies

Summary

Title 18, §506

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Amendments

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata