Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60

§798 Disclosure of Classified Information

Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 37— ESPIONAGE AND CENSORSHIP › § 798

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

It makes it a federal crime to intentionally give, show, publish, or otherwise share classified secrets about U.S. or foreign codes, cryptographic machines, or signal‑intelligence activities with someone who is not allowed to have them, or to use that information in ways that harm the United States or help a foreign government. The rule covers four kinds of classified material: information about codes and ciphers; information about devices used for cryptography or communications intelligence; information about communications‑intelligence activities; and information obtained by intercepting the communications of a foreign government. If someone is convicted, they must forfeit to the United States any money or property they got from the crime and any property used to commit it. The court must order this forfeiture, federal forfeiture rules apply, and money left after expenses goes into the Crime Victims Fund. A lawful request from a House or Senate committee is allowed. Defined terms (one line each): classified information — information a U.S. agency has marked for limited sharing for national security; code/cipher/cryptographic system — any method or device for secret writing; foreign government — any group or persons acting for or claiming to act for a foreign country; communication intelligence — methods of intercepting others’ communications; unauthorized person — anyone not cleared by the President or a designated agency head to receive this information.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §798

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly and willfully communicates, furnishes, transmits, or otherwise makes available to an unauthorized person, or publishes, or uses in any manner prejudicial to the safety or interest of the United States or for the benefit of any foreign government to the detriment of the United States any classified information—
(1)concerning the nature, preparation, or use of any code, cipher, or cryptographic system of the United States or any foreign government; or
(2)concerning the design, construction, use, maintenance, or repair of any device, apparatus, or appliance used or prepared or planned for use by the United States or any foreign government for cryptographic or communication intelligence purposes; or
(3)concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government; or
(4)obtained by the processes of communication intelligence from the communications of any foreign government, knowing the same to have been obtained by such processes—
(b)As used in subsection (a) of this section—The term “classified information” means information which, at the time of a violation of this section, is, for reasons of national security, specifically designated by a United States Government Agency for limited or restricted dissemination or distribution; The terms “code,” “cipher,” and “cryptographic system” include in their meanings, in addition to their usual meanings, any method of secret writing and any mechanical or electrical device or method used for the purpose of disguising or concealing the contents, significance, or meanings of communications; The term “foreign government” includes in its meaning any person or persons acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of any faction, party, department, agency, bureau, or military force of or within a foreign country, or for or on behalf of any government or any person or persons purporting to act as a government within a foreign country, whether or not such government is recognized by the United States; The term “communication intelligence” means all procedures and methods used in the interception of communications and the obtaining of information from such communications by other than the intended recipients; The term “unauthorized person” means any person who, or agency which, is not authorized to receive information of the categories set forth in subsection (a) of this section, by the President, or by the head of a department or agency of the United States Government which is expressly designated by the President to engage in communication intelligence activities for the United States.
(c)Nothing in this section shall prohibit the furnishing, upon lawful demand, of information to any regularly constituted committee of the Senate or House of Representatives of the United States of America, or joint committee thereof.
(d)(1)Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall forfeit to the United States irrespective of any provision of State law—
(A)any property constituting, or derived from, any proceeds the person obtained, directly or indirectly, as the result of such violation; and
(B)any of the person’s property used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of, such violation.
(2)The court, in imposing sentence on a defendant for a conviction of a violation of this section, shall order that the defendant forfeit to the United States all property described in paragraph (1).
(3)Except as provided in paragraph (4), the provisions of subsections (b), (c), and (e) through (p) of section 413 of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (21 U.S.C. 853(b), (c), and (e)–(p)), shall apply to—
(A)property subject to forfeiture under this subsection;
(B)any seizure or disposition of such property; and
(C)any administrative or judicial proceeding in relation to such property,
(4)Notwithstanding section 524(c) of title 28, there shall be deposited in the Crime Victims Fund established under section 1402 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601) 11 See References in Text note below. all amounts from the forfeiture of property under this subsection remaining after the payment of expenses for forfeiture and sale authorized by law.
(5)As used in this subsection, the term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1402 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, referred to in subsec. (d)(4), is section 1402 of chapter XIV of title II of Pub. L. 98–473, which was classified to section 10601 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification as section 20101 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law

Enforcement

. Codification Another section 798 was renumbered section 798A of this title.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 104–294 struck out “the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,” after “Puerto Rico,”. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000” in concluding provisions. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–359 added subsec. (d).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 798

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60