Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§911 Citizen of the United States
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 43 — FALSE PERSONATION › § 911
Summary
Lying about U.S. citizenship can mean fines, jail up to three years.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §911
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever falsely and willfully represents himself to be a citizen of the United States shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on subsection (a), paragraph (18) and subsection (d), of section 746, title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality (Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 876, § 346(a), par. (18), and (d), 54 Stat. 1165, 1167). Section consolidates said provisions of section 746, title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality. The word “willfully” was substituted for “knowingly”, “$1,000” for “$5,000”, and “three years” for “five years”, to harmonize with congressional intent evidenced by the other sections of this chapter. Minor changes were made in phraseology and unnecessary words were omitted.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 911
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102