Title 19, Customs DutiesRelease 119-110
§1620 Acceptance of Money by United States Officers
Title 19 › CHAPTER 4 — TARIFF ACT OF 1930 › SUBTITLE III — ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Part V — Enforcement Provisions › § 1620
Summary
Anyone who is a U.S. officer and takes any part of a reward meant for a person who gave information or made a seizure commits a felony. If convicted, they can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both, and afterward cannot hold any office of honor, trust, or emolument. Someone who paid that money can sue to get it back.
Full Legal Text
Title 19, §1620
Customs Duties, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Any officer of the United States who directly or indirectly receives, accepts, or contracts for any portion of the money which may accrue to any person making such 1 detection and seizure, or furnishing such 1 information, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both, and shall be thereafter ineligible to any office of honor, trust, or emolument. Any such person who pays to any such officer, or to any person for the use of such officer, any portion of such money, or anything of value for or because of such money, shall have a right of action against such officer, or his legal representatives, or against such person, or his legal representatives, and shall be entitled to recover the money so paid or the thing of value so given.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification As enacted by act June 17, 1930, the catchline for this section was “Same—United States officers”, as this section was intended to be read as a continuation of the provisions introduced in section 1619 of this title, and the use of “such” in the first sentence is similarly meant to refer back to section 1619. For text of section 1619 of this title prior to its general amendment by Pub. L. 99–570, see 1986 Amendment note under that section.
Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 620, 42 Stat. 988. That section was superseded by section 620 of act
June 17, 1930, comprising this section, and repealed by section 651(a)(1) of the 1930 act. Provisions somewhat similar to those in this section but excepting cases of smuggling were contained in act
June 22, 1874, ch. 391, § 7, 18 Stat. 187, prior to repeal by act Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 356, title IV, § 643, 42 Stat. 989.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
19 U.S.C. § 1620
Title 19, Customs Duties
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110