Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-110
§440 Mail Contracts
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 23 — CONTRACTS › § 440
Summary
Postal employees mustn't have an interest in mail‑carrying contracts or act for people seeking those contracts, with or without pay. Fines or up to one year jail.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §440
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, being a person employed in the Postal Service, becomes interested in any contract for carrying the mail, or acts as agent, with or without compensation, for any contractor or person offering to become a contractor in any business before the Postal Service, 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., § 356 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 226, 35 Stat. 1134). Provision for dismissal from office was omitted since this might be handled better administratively. Changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322, which directed the amendment of this section by substituting “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”, was executed by making the substitution for “fined not more than $5,000”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. 1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “Postal Service” for “Post Office Department” before “, shall be fined”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and published by it in the Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an
Effective Date
note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 440
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110