Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§712 Misuse of Names, Words, Emblems, or Insignia
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 33 — EMBLEMS, INSIGNIA, AND NAMES › § 712
Summary
Makes it a crime for private debt collectors or private police/detective services to use words like national, Federal, United States, the initials U.S., or any emblem/name to falsely imply they are U.S. government. Fines or up to one year in jail.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §712
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, in the course of collecting or aiding in the collection of private debts or obligations, or being engaged in furnishing private police, investigation, or other private detective services, uses or employs in any communication, correspondence, notice, advertisement, or circular the words “national”, “Federal”, or “United States”, the initials “U.S.”, or any emblem, insignia, or name, for the purpose of conveying and in a manner reasonably calculated to convey the false impression that such communication is from a department, agency, bureau, or instrumentality of the United States or in any manner represents the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”. 1973—Pub. L. 93–147 substituted “Misuse of names, words, emblems, or insignia” for “Misuse of names by collecting agencies or private detective agencies to indicate Federal agency” in section catchline and substituted “in the course” and “such communication is from a department” for “being engaged in the business” and “such business is a department” respectively, and struck out “as part of the firm name of such business,” after “detective services, uses”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 86–291, § 2, Sept. 21, 1959, 73 Stat. 570, provided that: “The provisions of this section [enacting this section] shall become effective sixty days from the enactment thereof [Sept. 21, 1959].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 712
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102