PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Using, trying to use, selling, offering to sell, or knowingly keeping postage stamps, stamped envelopes, or postal cards that have already been used or canceled is illegal. It is also illegal to remove cancellation marks or the printed address from a used stamped envelope or card, or to take stamps off mail to reuse or sell them. A person who does these things can be fined under federal law, jailed for up to 1 year, or both. If the person is a Postal Service employee, jail time can be up to 3 years.

Title 18, §1720

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever uses or attempts to use in payment of postage, any canceled postage stamp, whether the same has been used or not, or removes, attempts to remove, or assists in removing, the canceling or defacing marks from any postage stamp, or the superscription from any stamped envelope, or postal card, that has once been used in payment of postage, with the intent to use the same for a like purpose, or to sell or offer to sell the same, or knowingly possesses any such postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, with intent to use the same or knowingly sells or offers to sell any such postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, or uses or attempts to use the same in payment of postage; or Whoever unlawfully and willfully removes from any mail matter any stamp attached thereto in payment of postage; or Whoever knowingly uses in payment of postage, any postage stamp, postal card, or stamped envelope, issued in pursuance of law, which has already been used for a like purpose— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; but if he is a person employed in the Postal Service, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 328 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 205, 35 Stat. 1127). Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title. Minor verbal changes were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in two places in last par.

§1720 Canceled Stamps and Envelopes