Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§476 Taking Impressions of Tools Used for Obligations or Securities
Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 25— COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY › § 476
Summary
Making or copying any physical, analog, digital, or electronic imprint, stamp, or image of a tool used to print or make U.S. obligations or securities without permission from the United States is a federal crime punishable by a fine, up to 25 years in prison, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §476
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, without authority from the United States, takes, procures, or makes an impression, stamp, analog, digital, or electronic image, or imprint of, from or by the use of any tool, implement, instrument, or thing used or fitted or intended to be used in printing, stamping, or impressing, or in making other tools, implements, instruments, or things to be used or fitted or intended to be used in printing, stamping, or impressing any obligation or other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 266 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 152, 35 Stat. 1117). Enumeration of substances on which impressions could be made and enumeration of various kinds of tools to be used were omitted as unnecessary. Reference to circulating note or evidence of debt was omitted in view of definition of obligations and securities in section 8 of this title. Changes in phraseology were also made.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2001—Pub. L. 107–56 inserted “analog, digital, or electronic image,” after “impression, stamp,” and substituted “25 years” for “ten years”. 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. § 476
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60