Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§511i Offenses

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 21A— - TOBACCO INSPECTION › § 511i

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is illegal to lie about tobacco grades or pretend to be part of the federal tobacco inspection program. People must not use words like "United States," "Government," or "Federal" to describe a tobacco grade unless the grade really matches federal standards. No one may make, change, forge, or help fake official papers or labels (like certificates, stamps, tags, seals, or similar items) that claim to be issued under the law. Only authorized inspectors may issue official certificates. If someone not authorized issues a report that looks like an official one, it must clearly say it is not a U.S. certificate. Authorized inspectors must not do their job badly, lie on reports, or take money to neglect duties. People must not falsely claim to be an authorized inspector, interfere with or attack inspectors (owners may still appeal grades under the rules), swap or hide tobacco after inspection, remove grade certificates before sale in auction warehouses without permission, or change official samples and then call them official.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §511i

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

It shall be unlawful—
(a)For any person to use the words “United States”, “Government”, or “Federal”, or any abbreviation thereof, in, or in connection with, any statement relating to the grade of tobacco when such grade is not, in fact, one of the grades for tobacco according to the standards of the United States.
(b)For any person falsely to make, issue, alter, forge, or counterfeit, or aid, cause, procure, or assist in or be a party to the false making, issuing, altering, forging, or counterfeiting of any certificate, stamp, tag, seal, label, or other writing purporting to be issued or authorized under this chapter.
(c)For any person, not an authorized inspector under this chapter, to issue a certificate or report stating the type, grade, size, or condition of any lot of tobacco to be in accordance with the standards of the United States therefor which is of such color, size, arrangement, or wording as to be mistaken for a certificate issued under this chapter, unless such certificate states in prominent letters in its heading that it is not issued under authority of the United States.
(d)For any person employed, designated, or licensed by the Secretary as an inspector, sampler, or weigher of tobacco under this chapter knowingly to inspect, sample, or weigh improperly, or to issue any false certificate under this chapter, or to accept money or other consideration, directly or indirectly, for any neglect or improper performance of duty as an inspector, sampler or weigher.
(e)For any person improperly to influence or to attempt improperly to influence or forcibly to assault, resist, impede, or interfere with any inspector, sampler, weigher, or other person employed, designated, or licensed by the Secretary in the execution of his duties under this chapter: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall operate to prevent the owner of tobacco from appealing or protesting, in accordance with regulations of the Secretary, the grade certified for his tobacco.
(f)For any person falsely to represent or otherwise indicate that he is authorized by the Secretary to inspect, sample, or weigh tobacco under this chapter.
(g)For any person to substitute, or attempt to substitute, following inspection or sampling or weighing under this chapter, other tobacco for tobacco actually inspected or sampled or weighed, or in the case of tobacco inspected in auction warehouses for any person not so authorized by the Secretary to remove any certificate of grade from any lot of tobacco prior to the sale of such lot.
(h)For any person falsely to represent that tobacco has been inspected, sampled, or weighed under this chapter; or knowingly to have made any false representation concerning tobacco inspected under this chapter; or knowing that tobacco is to be offered for inspection or sampling under this chapter to load, pack, or arrange such tobacco in such manner as knowingly to conceal foreign matter or tobacco of inferior grade, quality, or condition; or for any person knowing that tobacco has been so loaded, packed, or arranged, to offer it for inspection or sampling without disclosing such knowledge to the inspector or sampler before inspection or sampling.
(i)For any person willfully to alter an official sample of tobacco by removing or plucking leaves or otherwise, or for any person knowing that an official sample of tobacco has been so altered, thereafter to represent such sample as an official sample.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 511i

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73