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Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§615 Books and Records

Title 22 › Chapter 11— FOREIGN AGENTS AND PROPAGANDA › Subchapter II— REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN PROPAGANDISTS › § 615

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Every registered agent for a foreign principal must keep records of required activities, follow business and accounting rules the Attorney General issues while considering national security and public interest, and keep those records for three years after their agency ends. Until those rules exist, agents must keep books and records, let enforcement officials inspect them at reasonable times, and must not on purpose hide, destroy, alter, fake, attempt, or cause others to do so.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §615

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Every agent of a foreign principal registered under this subchapter shall keep and preserve while he is an agent of a foreign principal such books of account and other records with respect to all his activities, the disclosure of which is required under the provisions of this subchapter, in accordance with such business and accounting practices, as the Attorney General, having due regard for the national security and the public interest, may by regulation prescribe as necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the provisions of this subchapter and shall preserve the same for a period of three years following the termination of such status. Until regulations are in effect under this section every agent of a foreign principal shall keep books of account and shall preserve all written records with respect to his activities. Such books and records shall be open at all reasonable times to the inspection of any official charged with the enforcement of this subchapter. It shall be unlawful for any person willfully to conceal, destroy, obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to attempt to conceal, destroy, obliterate, mutilate, or falsify, or to cause to be concealed, destroyed, obliterated, mutilated, or falsified, any books or records required to be kept under the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Prior to general amendment of act June 8, 1938, by act Apr. 29, 1942, section related to penalties. Provisions on that subject were incorporated in section 618 of this title by 1942 amendment.

Amendments

1966—Pub. L. 89–486 inserted “in accordance with such business and accounting practices,” after “under the provisions of this subchapter,”. 1942—Act Apr. 29, 1942, amended section generally.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1966 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 89–486 effective ninety days after July 4, 1966, see section 9 of Pub. L. 89–486, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1942 AmendmentAmendment by act Apr. 29, 1942, effective on the sixtieth day after Apr. 29, 1942, except that prior to such sixtieth day the Attorney General may make, prescribe, amend, and rescind such rules,

Regulations

, and forms as may be necessary to carry out act Apr. 29, 1942, see section 3 of act Apr. 29, 1942, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 615

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60