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Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6117 (2026)

  Altering or obliterating marks of identification.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 6117.  Altering or obliterating marks of identification.

(a)  Offense defined.--No person shall change, alter, remove, or obliterate the manufacturer's number integral to the frame or receiver of any firearm which shall have the same meaning as provided in section 6105 (relating to persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms).

(b)  Presumption.--(Deleted by amendment).

(c)  Penalty.--A violation of this section constitutes a felony of the second degree.

(d)  Appellate review.--(Deleted by amendment).

(June 13, 1995, 1st Sp.Sess., P.L.1024, No.17, eff. 120 days; Nov. 22, 1995, P.L.621, No.66, eff. imd.; Oct. 17, 2008, P.L.1628, No.131, eff. 60 days)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1977–2024 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Ford, 175 A.3d 985 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017).
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Commonwealth v. Ford, 175 A.3d 985 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “The question here is whether corrosion of manufacturer’s numbers renders them “altered, changed, removed or obliterated” within the meaning of section 6110.2. The Crimes Code does not define this phrase or any- individual terms therein.”
Commonwealth v. Everett, 419 A.2d 793 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1980). “18 Pa.C.S. § 6117. 3 . 18 Pa.C.S. § 1354(d).”
Commonwealth v. Ortiz, 738 A.2d 403 (Pa. 1999). “§ 6106(a), Firearms Not To Be Carried Without a License, and 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a), Altering or Obliterating Marks of Identification.”
Commonwealth v. Story, 410 A.2d 1251 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1979). “18 Pa.C.S. § 6117. 5 . This gun was later identified as a Walther Model PPK .”
Commonwealth v. Ricketts, 467 A.2d 1132 (Pa. 1983). · cites it 2× “18 Pa.C.S. § 6117. In hastily resolving this case, the majority cited only Commonwealth v.”
Commonwealth v. Ortiz, 704 A.2d 646 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1997). “§ 6106(a), and Altering or Obliterating Marks of Identification, 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a). In response to appellee’s motion, the trial court found that the Commonwealth had failed to provide sufficient prima facie evidence to support the charge of Firearms Not To Be Carried Without…”
Commonwealth v. Hill, 380 A.2d 887 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1977). “The Crimes Code, supra; 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117. . The Crimes Code, supra; 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth v. Bond, 407 A.2d 430 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1979). “§ 6105) and of altering or obliterating marks of identification on a firearm (18 Pa.C.S. § 6117), charges on which he was acquitted in the court of common pleas.”
Commonwealth v. Ricketts, 444 A.2d 127 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1982). · cites it 2× “18 Pa.C.S. § 6117 provides as follows: § 6117.”
Commonwealth v. Smith, S., Aplt. (Pa. 2019). · cites it 2× “To ensure that serial numbers remain intact on firearms, the legislature has prohibited persons from defacing these markings, see 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a), and from purchasing or obtaining defaced firearms, see 18 Pa.”
Crawford, S., Aplts. v. Commonwealth (Pa. 2024). · cites it 2× “18 The UFA additionally prohibits the alteration or obliteration of a firearm’s manufacturer’s number, 18 Pa. C.S. § 6117, and the possession of a firearm with an altered or obliterated manufacturer’s number, 18 Pa.”
Com. v. Williams, P. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2016). “§ 780- 113(a)(32); altering or obliterating a firearm's serial number, 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a); possession of an instrument of a crime, 18 Pa.”
Show all 16 citing cases →
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6117(a) — 8 cases
Commonwealth v. Ford, 175 A.3d 985 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). “The question here is whether corrosion of manufacturer’s numbers renders them “altered, changed, removed or obliterated” within the meaning of section 6110.2. The Crimes Code does not define this phrase or any- individual terms therein.”
Commonwealth v. Ortiz, 738 A.2d 403 (Pa. 1999). “§ 6106(a), Firearms Not To Be Carried Without a License, and 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a), Altering or Obliterating Marks of Identification.”
Commonwealth v. Ortiz, 704 A.2d 646 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1997). “§ 6106(a), and Altering or Obliterating Marks of Identification, 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a). In response to appellee’s motion, the trial court found that the Commonwealth had failed to provide sufficient prima facie evidence to support the charge of Firearms Not To Be Carried Without…”
Commonwealth v. Smith, S., Aplt. (Pa. 2019). “To ensure that serial numbers remain intact on firearms, the legislature has prohibited persons from defacing these markings, see 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a), and from purchasing or obtaining defaced firearms, see 18 Pa.”
Com. v. Williams, P. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2016). “§ 780- 113(a)(32); altering or obliterating a firearm's serial number, 18 Pa.C.S. § 6117(a); possession of an instrument of a crime, 18 Pa.”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6117(c) — 1 case
Crawford, S., Aplts. v. Commonwealth (Pa. 2024). “18 The UFA additionally prohibits the alteration or obliteration of a firearm’s manufacturer’s number, 18 Pa. C.S. § 6117, and the possession of a firearm with an altered or obliterated manufacturer’s number, 18 Pa.”
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