§1015 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

It is a crime to knowingly lie or use fake papers about U.S. citizenship, naturalization, or immigration records. That includes lying under oath in any naturalization or citizenship matter; denying you were naturalized to avoid a legal duty; using certificates or other documents you know were gotten by fraud or without the required hearing; falsely certifying that someone appeared, signed, or took an oath on immigration papers; and falsely saying you are or were a U.S. citizen or national to get federal or state benefits or to work illegally. It is also a crime to falsely claim citizenship to register or vote. A person who does any of these may be fined, jailed for up to five years, or both. The voting rule does not apply if each parent (or adoptive parent) is or was a U.S. citizen, the person lived in the U.S. permanently before turning 16, and they reasonably believed they were a citizen.

Title 18, §1015

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly makes any false statement under oath, in any case, proceeding, or matter relating to, or under, or by virtue of any law of the United States relating to naturalization, citizenship, or registry of aliens; or

(b)Whoever knowingly, with intent to avoid any duty or liability imposed or required by law, denies that he has been naturalized or admitted to be a citizen, after having been so naturalized or admitted; or

(c)Whoever uses or attempts to use any certificate of arrival, declaration of intention, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or other documentary evidence of naturalization or of citizenship, or any duplicate or copy thereof, knowing the same to have been procured by fraud or false evidence or without required appearance or hearing of the applicant in court or otherwise unlawfully obtained; or

(d)Whoever knowingly makes any false certificate, acknowledgment or statement concerning the appearance before him or the taking of an oath or affirmation or the signature, attestation or execution by any person with respect to any application, declaration, petition, affidavit, deposition, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or other paper or writing required or authorized by the laws relating to immigration, naturalization, citizenship, or registry of aliens; or

(e)Whoever knowingly makes any false statement or claim that he is, or at any time has been, a citizen or national of the United States, with the intent to obtain on behalf of himself, or any other person, any Federal or State benefit or service, or to engage unlawfully in employment in the United States; or

(f)Whoever knowingly makes any false statement or claim that he is a citizen of the United States in order to register to vote or to vote in any Federal, State, or local election (including an initiative, recall, or referendum)—Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. Subsection (f) does not apply to an alien if each natural parent of the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each adoptive parent of the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or naturalization), the alien permanently resided in the United States prior to attaining the age of 16, and the alien reasonably believed at the time of making the false statement or claim that he or she was a citizen of the United States.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on subsections (a), paragraphs (1), (16), (17), (19), (32), (b), (d), and (l) of section 746 of title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality (Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 876, § 346(a), pars. (1), (16), (17), (19), (32), (b), (d), and (l), 45 Stat. 1163, 1165, 1167). Section consolidates, with minor changes, subsection (a), paragraphs (1), (16), (17), (19), (32), and subsections (b), (d), and (l), of section 746 of title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality. Such changes of arrangement and phraseology were made as were appropriate and necessary.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2000—Pub. L. 106–395 inserted at end of concluding provisions “Subsection (f) does not apply to an alien if each natural parent of the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each adoptive parent of the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or naturalization), the alien permanently resided in the United States prior to attaining the age of 16, and the alien reasonably believed at the time of making the false statement or claim that he or she was a citizen of the United States.” 1996—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 104–208 added subsecs. (e) and (f). 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in concluding par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2000 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 106–395 effective as if included in the enactment of section 215 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, div. C of Pub. L. 104–208, and applicable to an alien prosecuted on or after Sept. 30, 1996, except in the case of an alien whose criminal proceeding (including judicial review thereof) has been finally concluded before Oct. 30, 2000, see section 201(d)(3) of Pub. L. 106–395, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

§1015 Naturalization, Citizenship or Alien Registry