republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-25/section-506.md

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LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 506	Seals of departments or agencies	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	25	COUNTERFEITING AND FORGERY	506	18 U.S.C. § 506	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s506	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	cdf5fb1f492f4f1198878dd9fe1b3383a9ea0c61a4f0ea35863f89263f800330	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	b01f136a91b6b2adcc5daba6ed0e81c357e8131c49c1ea2bcab80f187d89b353	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 506 - Seals of departments or agencies

Text

(a) Whoever—

(1) falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof;

(2) knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or

(3) with fraudulent intent, possesses, sells, offers for sale, furnishes, offers to furnish, gives away, offers to give away, transports, offers to transport, imports, or offers to import any such seal or facsimile thereof, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered,

shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) or any other provision of law, if a forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal of a department or agency of the United States, or any facsimile thereof, is—

(1) so forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered;

(2) used, affixed, or impressed to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description; or

(3) with fraudulent intent, possessed, sold, offered for sale, furnished, offered to furnish, given away, offered to give away, transported, offered to transport, imported, or offered to import,

with the intent or effect of facilitating an alien’s application for, or receipt of, a Federal benefit to which the alien is not entitled, the penalties which may be imposed for each offense under subsection (a) shall be two times the maximum fine, and 3 times the maximum term of imprisonment, or both, that would otherwise be imposed for an offense under subsection (a).

(c) For purposes of this section—

(1) the term “Federal benefit” means—

(A) the issuance of any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license provided by any agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and

(B) any retirement, welfare, Social Security, health (including treatment of an emergency medical condition in accordance with section 1903(v) of the Social Security Act (19 11 So in original. Probably should be “42”. U.S.C. 1396b(v))), disability, veterans, public housing, education, supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits,22 So in original. The word “benefits” probably should not appear. or unemployment benefit, or any similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided by an agency of the United States or by appropriated funds of the United States; and

(2) each instance of forgery, counterfeiting, mutilation, or alteration shall constitute a separate offense under this section.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 714; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title V, § 561, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–681; Pub. L. 110–234, title IV, § 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1096, 1097; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title IV, § 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1857, 1858.)

Notes

Historical and revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 131 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title X, § 2, 40 Stat. 228). Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or assisting was omitted as unnecessary as such persons are made principals by section 2 of this title. In view of definitions of department and agency in section 6 of this title, words “department or agency” in first paragraph were substituted for “executive department, or any bureau, commission, or office”. Provision for 10 years’ imprisonment was reduced to 5 years to conform to punishment provision in section 505 of this title, covering an offense of like gravity. Minor changes in phraseology were also made.

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments2008—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110–246, § 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M), substituted “supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits” for “food stamps”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–208 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States; or “Whoever knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper, of any description; or “Whoever, with fraudulent intent, possesses any such seal, knowing the same to have been so falsely made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered— “Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.” 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an Effective Date note under section 8701 of Title 7, Agriculture. Amendment by section 4002(b)(1)(E), (2)(M) of Pub. L. 110–246 effective Oct. 1, 2008, see section 4407 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 1161 of Title 2, The Congress.