Title 50 — War and National DefenseRelease 119-73not60
§216 Preventing Transportation of Goods to Aid Insurrection
Title 50 › Chapter 13— INSURRECTION › § 216
Summary
The Secretary of the Treasury can stop and forbid moving any property by ship, train, road, or other transport inside the United States when there is good reason to think it is meant for, or could soon be seized by, people rebelling against the United States. He can demand reasonable guarantees that goods won’t be sent to or used to help those rebels, make rules to enforce this, and any property moved or attempted to be moved in violation can be taken away.
Full Legal Text
Title 50, §216
War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prohibit and prevent the transportation in any vessel, or upon any railroad, turnpike, or other road or means of transportation within the United States, of any property, whatever may be the ostensible destination of the same, in all cases where there are satisfactory reasons to believe that such property is intended for any place in the possession or under the control of insurgents against the United States, or that there is imminent danger that such property will fall into the possession or under the control of such insurgents; and he is further authorized, in all cases where he deems it expedient so to do, to require reasonable security to be given that property shall not be transported to any place under insurrectionary control, and shall not, in any way, be used to give aid or comfort to such insurgents; and he may establish all such general or special regulations as may be necessary or proper to carry into effect the purposes of this section; and if any property is transported in violation of this chapter, or of any regulation of the Secretary of the Treasury, established in pursuance thereof, or if any attempt shall be made so to transport any, it shall be forfeited.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification R.S. § 5312 derived from act May 20, 1862, ch. 81, § 3, 12 Stat. 404.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
50 U.S.C. § 216
Title 50 — War and National Defense
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60