---
type: "LegalText"
title: "43 U.S.C. § 478"
description: "Pecuniary penalty for nonpayment of installments of construction charges"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 43
title_name: "PUBLIC LANDS"
chapter_number: "12"
chapter_name: "RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT"
section: "478"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 478"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc43@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t43/s478"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-43/usc43.xml"
source_hash: "556e837cdbc5dc4e1340b50c9da8b28f5e12d2929e3b2f36e2d99402ddbac7db"
raw_snapshot_hash: "d46a16361aa9d10bbc4b27ea0561882d240801c965a2700a4b7cf5f02f552a5f"
text_hash: "a397c0a240635b1f0612491c09d1e4ce76c7ea9d41e068934cb7b23086c9f516"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 43 U.S.C. § 478 - Pecuniary penalty for nonpayment of installments of construction charges

## Text

If any water-right applicant or entryman shall have, prior to December 5, 1924, failed to pay any installment of his construction charges when due, there shall be added to the amount unpaid a penalty of 1 per centum thereof, and there shall be added a like penalty of 1 per centum of the amount unpaid on the first day of each month thereafter so long as such default shall have continued: Provided, That the penalty of 1 per centum per month against delinquent accounts, is reduced to one-half of 1 per centum per month, as to all installments which may become due after December 5, 1924.

(Aug. 13, 1914, ch. 247, § 3, 38 Stat. 687; Dec. 5, 1924, ch. 4, § 4, subsec. H, 43 Stat. 703.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Section consolidates first sentence of act Aug. 13, 1914, § 3, with act Dec. 5, 1924, § 4, subsec. H.