Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§4223 Prohibited Acts

Title 16 › CHAPTER 62 — AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION › SUBCHAPTER II — MORATORIA AND PROHIBITED ACTS › § 4223

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Except as provided in section 4222(e), it is illegal for anyone to do any of these things: bring raw ivory into the U.S. from a country that does not produce ivory; send raw ivory out of the U.S.; bring in raw or worked ivory that was exported from an ivory-producing country in violation of that country’s laws or the CITES Ivory Control System; bring in worked ivory (not personal items) unless the exporting country certifies it came from legal sources; or bring in any ivory from a country that is under a moratorium under section 4222.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §4223

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Except as provided in section 4222(e) of this title, it is unlawful for any person—

(1)to import raw ivory from any country other than an ivory producing country;

(2)to export raw ivory from the United States;

(3)to import raw or worked ivory that was exported from an ivory producing country in violation of that country’s laws or of the CITES Ivory Control System;

(4)to import worked ivory, other than personal effects, from any country unless that country has certified that such ivory was derived from legal sources; or

(5)to import raw or worked ivory from a country for which a moratorium is in effect under section 4222 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 4223

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102