---
type: "LegalText"
title: "18 U.S.C. § 4004"
description: "Oaths and acknowledgments"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
chapter_number: "301"
chapter_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
section: "4004"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 4004"
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_usc18@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s4004"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml"
source_hash: "2e9ccbe61a59acc81f64f05f6586ed0f8a460b575c2bac2565a76ccc5f930285"
raw_snapshot_hash: "1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708"
text_hash: "f681d0dd7f20c7f86f82819b15a5d7b88b07d2523f36e7bb711e404b059ccf04"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 18 U.S.C. § 4004 - Oaths and acknowledgments

## Text

The wardens and superintendents, associate wardens and superintendents, chief clerks, and record clerks, of Federal penal or correctional institutions, may administer oaths to and take acknowledgments of officers, employees, and inmates of such institutions, but shall not demand or accept any fee or compensation therefor.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 848; July 7, 1955, ch. 282, 69 Stat. 282; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 223(l), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2029.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 754 (Feb. 11, 1938, ch. 24, §§ 1, 2, 52 Stat. 28). Section was extended to include superintendents and associate superintendents. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Words “the authority conferred by” were omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1984—Pub. L. 98–473 substituted “and record clerks” for “record clerks, and parole officers”. 1955—Act July 7, 1955, permitted chief clerks, record clerks, and parole officers to administer oaths and take acknowledgments.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–473 effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of such amendment, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3551 of this title.