18 U.S.C. § 501 — Postage stamps, postage meter stamps, and postal cards

submitted 78 years ago by ch. 645 to r/title-18-CRIMES-AND-CRIMINAL-PROCEDURE · 221 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This law makes it a federal crime to forge or counterfeit postage stamps, postal cards, and the plates used to print them. It also criminalizes making fake watermarked paper and knowingly delivering counterfeit stamps to unauthorized people. Violators face up to five years in prison.

It is a crime to forge or counterfeit a postage stamp, postage meter stamp, a stamp printed on a stamped envelope, or a postal card — or any die, plate, or engraving used to make one. It is a crime to make, print, knowingly use, sell, or possess with intent to use or sell, any such forged or counterfeited stamp, envelope, card, die, plate, or engraving. It is a crime to make, or knowingly use, sell, or possess with intent to use or sell, paper bearing the watermark of a stamped envelope or postal card, or any fake imitation of that watermark. It is a crime to make or print — or authorize someone to make or print — any postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card of the kind the Post Office Department or Postal Service normally issues, without their special authority and direction. It is a crime, after such a stamp, envelope, or card has been printed, to deliver it with intent to defraud to someone not authorized in writing (signed by the Postmaster General, under the Post Office Department's or Postal Service's seal) to receive it. Penalty: anyone who violates any of these rules can be fined under this title, or imprisoned for up to five years, or both.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

Whoever forges or counterfeits any postage stamp, postage meter stamp, or any stamp printed upon any stamped envelope, or postal card, or any die, plate, or engraving thereof; or

Whoever makes or prints, or knowingly uses or sells, or possesses with intent to use or sell, any such forged or counterfeited postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, postal card, die, plate, or engraving; or

Whoever makes, or knowingly uses or sells, or possesses with intent to use or sell, any paper bearing the watermark of any stamped envelope, or postal card, or any fraudulent imitation thereof; or

Whoever makes or prints, or authorizes to be made or printed, any postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, of the kind authorized and provided by the Post Office Department or by the Postal Service, without the special authority and direction of the Department or Postal Service; or

Whoever after such postage stamp, postage meter stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card has been printed, with intent to defraud, delivers the same to any person not authorized by an instrument in writing, duly executed under the hand of the Postmaster General and the seal of the Post Office Department or the Postal Service, to receive it—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Source credit: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 713; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(6), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 777; Pub. L. 91–448, § 1(a), Oct. 14, 1970, 84 Stat. 920; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 645 · 62 Stat. 713
1970Amended · Pub. L. 91-375 · 84 Stat. 777
1970Amended · Pub. L. 91-448 · 84 Stat. 920
1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-322 · 108 Stat. 2147

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 645 on 1948-06-25.

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