Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§1017 Government Seals Wrongfully Used and Instruments Wrongfully Sealed
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 47 — FRAUD AND FALSE STATEMENTS › § 1017
Summary
It makes it a crime to fraudulently put a U.S. department or agency seal on any certificate, document, commission, or paper, or to knowingly use, buy, sell, or transfer a paper with such a fake seal. A person convicted can be fined, jailed for up to five years, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1017
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever fraudulently or wrongfully affixes or impresses the seal of any department or agency of the United States, to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper or with knowledge of its fraudulent character, with wrongful or fraudulent intent, uses, buys, procures, sells, or transfers to another any such certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper, to which or upon which said seal has been so fraudulently affixed or impressed, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 130 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title X, § 1, 40 Stat. 227). To clarify scope of section and in view of definition of department or agency in section 6 of this title, words “department or agency” were substituted for “executive department, or of any bureau, commission, or office”. Slight verbal changes were also made.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1017
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102