---
type: "LegalText"
title: "40 U.S.C. § 17101"
description: "Definitions"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 40
title_name: "PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS"
chapter_number: "171"
chapter_name: "SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES"
section: "17101"
citation: "40 U.S.C. § 17101"
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_usc40@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t40/s17101"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-40/usc40.xml"
source_hash: "007032e33bb05362ccb38b498b494227311a8a23bf209661bf6fe8f3ef9de932"
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text_hash: "1a3958e987eae56440b32fe2123eb287043bec943bb434cbb51d4e3cc85a10cc"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 40 U.S.C. § 17101 - Definitions

## Text

In this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) Federal government.— The term “Federal Government” includes the government of the District of Columbia.

(2) Motor vehicle.— The term “motor vehicle” means a vehicle, self-propelled or drawn by mechanical power, designed for use on the highways principally for the transportation of passengers, except a vehicle designed or used for military field training, combat, or tactical purposes.

(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1279.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1710140:703.Pub. L. 88–515, § 3, Aug. 30, 1964, 78 Stat. 696. In clause (1), the words “the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the Government of the United States” are omitted as unnecessary.