18 U.S.C. § 506

Seals of departments or agencies

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(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.)Historical and revision Notes

Based 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 NotesCodification

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.

Amendments

2008—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 SubsidiariesEffective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment 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.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 14 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1975–2025 · leading case: United States v. Perry Reich, 479 F.3d 179 (2d Cir. 2007).

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United States v. Perry Reich, 479 F.3d 179 (2d Cir. 2007). · cites it 2× “, 18 U.S.C. § 506 (prohibiting, without mention of intent to defraud, the “false[] makfing], forge[ry], counterfeiting], mutilation], or alteration]” of the seal of any U.”

United States v. Svoboda, 633 F.3d 479 (6th Cir. 2011). · cites it 4× “As a result, he was charged with “knowingly us[ing], affixing], and impressing] a fraudulently made, forged and counterfeited seal of a department and agency of the United States,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 506 (a)(2), and “knowingly possessing] an identification document and…”

Yong Wong Park v. Attorney Gen. of the United States, 472 F.3d 66 (3rd Cir. 2006). · cites it 2× “§ 505 ); the counterfeiting of seals of departments or agencies ( 18 U.S.C. § 506 ); and the counterfeiting of ship’s papers ( 18 U.”

United States v. Julius Chow Lieh Liu, 731 F.3d 982 (9th Cir. 2013). “On March 12, 2008, the grand jury returned the first superseding indictment, which consisted of two counts of criminal copyright infringement, one count of trafficking in counterfeit labels, and one count of criminal forfeiture and destruction, 18 U.S.C. §§ 506 (b), 509(a). The…”

Rodriguez-valencia v. Holder, 652 F.3d 1157 (9th Cir. 2011). “§ 505 ; federal department and agency seals, 18 U.S.C. § 506 ; customs papers, 18 U.S.”

United States v. Cowan, 116 F.3d 1360 (10th Cir. 1997). “§ 502 (prohibiting forgery of foreign postage stamps); 18 U.S.C. § 506 (prohibiting forgery of government seals).”

United States v. Francis Story Goeltz, 513 F.2d 193 (10th Cir. 1975). “18 U.S.C. § 506 (possession of a counterfeit seal), 26 U.”

Ins. Co. of North Am. v. Sullivan, 333 B.R. 55 (D. Maryland 2005). “Thus, the Bankruptcy Court held that because INA is an unsecured creditor asserting a claim for legal expenses which were incurred after K & W filed its bankruptcy petition it is precluded from recovering under 18 U.S.C. § 506 (b) and In re Smith. INA disputes this position,…”

United States v. Stephanie Langlois, 421 F. App'x 429 (5th Cir. 2011). “Langlois, also known as Stephanie O’Neil (O’Neil), appeals the sentence imposed for forging a government seal in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 506 . The district court sentenced O’Neil to six months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $15,000…”

Torres (S.D.N.Y. 2025). · cites it 2× “See 18 U.S.C. § 506 (penalizing with up to five years imprisonment one who “falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters the seal of any department or agency of the United States” or “knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged,…”

Park v. Atty Gen USA (3rd Cir. 2006). · cites it 2× “§ 505 ); the counterfeiting of seals of departments or agencies ( 18 U.S.C. § 506 ); and the counterfeiting of ship’s papers ( 18 U.”

Boston Carriage, Inc. v. Boston Suburban Coach, Inc. (D. Mass. 2022). “Criminal Copyright Infringement under 18 U.S.C. § 506 (a) Boston Carriage also alleges that Individual Defendants engaged in the predicate act of criminal copyright infringement, which, in pertinent part, criminalizes “any person who willfully infringes a copyright….”

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