§501 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

It makes it a crime to fake postage stamps, postage meter stamps, stamped envelopes, postal cards, or the plates and dies used to make them. It also bans making, selling, using, or having those fakes or paper that copies envelope or card watermarks, and it bans printing official postal items without written permission from the Post Office Department or the Postal Service. Giving printed stamps or cards to anyone not authorized in writing and signed by the Postmaster General with the Department or Postal Service seal is also illegal. Penalties include a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

Title 18, §501

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever forges or counterfeits any postage stamp, postage meter stamp, or any stamp printed upon any stamped envelope, or postal card, or any die, plate, or engraving thereof; or Whoever makes or prints, or knowingly uses or sells, or possesses with intent to use or sell, any such forged or counterfeited postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, postal card, die, plate, or engraving; or Whoever makes, or knowingly uses or sells, or possesses with intent to use or sell, any paper bearing the watermark of any stamped envelope, or postal card, or any fraudulent imitation thereof; or Whoever makes or prints, or authorizes to be made or printed, any postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, of the kind authorized and provided by the Post Office Department or by the Postal Service, without the special authority and direction of the Department or Postal Service; or Whoever after such postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card has been printed, with intent to defraud, delivers the same to any person not authorized by an instrument in writing, duly executed under the hand of the Postmaster General and the seal of the Post Office Department or the Postal Service, to receive it— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 348 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 219, 35 Stat. 1132). Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title. Minor changes of phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in last par. 1970—Pub. L. 91–448 inserted references to the Postal Service and to postage meter stamps. Pub. L. 91–448, § 1(b), repealed section 6(j)(6) of the Postal Reorganization Act, Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 719, by which the references to the Postal Service had been inserted earlier. Pub. L. 91–375 inserted “or by the Postal Service,” after “Post Office Department,” and substituted “the Department or Postal Service” for “said department” in fourth par. and struck out the comma after “stamped envelope” and “to defraud” and inserted “or the Postal Service” after “Post Office Department” in fifth par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Post Office Department redesignated United States Postal Service pursuant to Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(o), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 733, set out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in 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.

§501 Postage Stamps, Postage Meter Stamps, and Postal Cards

Summary

Title 18, §501

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata