Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§1018 Official Certificates or Writings
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 47 — FRAUD AND FALSE STATEMENTS › § 1018
Summary
Issuing a false certificate by a U.S.-authorized official or other person, if no law punishes it, must be fined under this title, jailed up to one year, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1018
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, being a public officer or other person authorized by any law of the United States to make or give a certificate or other writing, knowingly makes and delivers as true such a certificate or writing, containing any statement which he knows to be false, in a case where the punishment thereof is not elsewhere expressly provided by law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 195 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 106, 35 Stat. 1107). Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1018
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102