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LegalText 18 U.S.C. § 3 Accessory after the fact us united_states_code code_section 18 CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS 3 18 U.S.C. § 3 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/s3 data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml 7cefd9868440568c417ff2d69a46b6cb19aa3cd1aa0fd0cfd09e853ca6652c81 1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708 706759d6e33ad80e77fa9341d08f400f0e655c1169260cb30be1983c049f8dfa 2026-07-04 official
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18 U.S.C. § 3 - Accessory after the fact

Text

Whoever, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact. Except as otherwise expressly provided by any Act of Congress, an accessory after the fact shall be imprisoned not more than one-half the maximum term of imprisonment or (notwithstanding section 3571) fined not more than one-half the maximum fine prescribed for the punishment of the principal, or both; or if the principal is punishable by life imprisonment or death, the accessory shall be imprisoned not more than 15 years.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 684; Pub. L. 99646, § 43, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3601; Pub. L. 101647, title XXXV, § 3502, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4921; Pub. L. 103322, title XXXIII, §§ 330011(h), 330016(2)(A), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2145, 2148.)

Notes

Historical and Revision NotesBased on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 551 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 333, 35 Stat. 1152). The first paragraph is new. It is based upon authority of Skelly v. United States (C. C. A. Okl. 1935, 76 F. 2d 483, certiorari denied, 1935, 55 S. Ct. 914, 295 U.S. 757, 79 L. Ed. 1699), where the court defined an accessory after the fact as— one who knowing a felony to have been committed by another, receives, relieves, comforts, or assists the felon in order to hinder the felons apprehension, trial, or punishment— and cited Jones Blackstone, books 3 and 4, page 2204; U.S. v. Hartwell (Fed. Cas. No. 15,318); Albritton v. State (32 Fla. 358, 13 So. 955); State v. Davis (14 R. I. 281); Schleeter v. Commonwealth (218 Ky. 72, 290 S. W. 1075). (See also State v. Potter, 1942, 221 N. C. 153, 19 S. E. 2d 257; Hunter v. State, 1935, 128 Tex. Cr. R. 191, 79 S. W. 2d 855; State v. Wells, 1940, 195 La. 754, 197 So. 419.) The second paragraph is from section 551 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Here only slight changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1994—Pub. L. 103322, § 330016(2)(A), inserted “(notwithstanding section 3571)” before “fined not more than one-half” in second par. Pub. L. 103322, § 330011(h), amended directory language of Pub. L. 101647, § 3502. See 1990 Amendment note below. 1990—Pub. L. 101647, as amended by Pub. L. 103322, § 330011(h), substituted “15 years” for “ten years” in second par. 1986—Pub. L. 99646 inserted “life imprisonment or” in second par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1994 AmendmentPub. L. 103322, title XXXIII, § 330011(h), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2145, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective as of Nov. 29, 1990.