CITE
18 USC Sec. 713 01/05/2009
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TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 33 - EMBLEMS, INSIGNIA, AND NAMES
HEAD
Sec. 713. Use of likenesses of the great seal of the United States,
the seals of the President and Vice President, the seal of the
United States Senate, the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, and the seal of the United States Congress
STATUTE
(a) Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likeness of
the great seal of the United States, or of the seals of the
President or the Vice President of the United States, or the seal
of the United States Senate, or the seal of the United States House
of Representatives, or the seal of the United States Congress, or
any facsimile thereof, in, or in connection with, any
advertisement, poster, circular, book, pamphlet, or other
publication, public meeting, play, motion picture, telecast, or
other production, or on any building, monument, or stationery, for
the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to
convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the
Government of the United States or by any department, agency, or
instrumentality thereof, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(b) Whoever, except as authorized under regulations promulgated
by the President and published in the Federal Register, knowingly
manufactures, reproduces, sells, or purchases for resale, either
separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any
likeness of the seals of the President or Vice President, or any
substantial part thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the
article for the official use of the Government of the United
States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
six months, or both.
(c) Whoever, except as directed by the United States Senate, or
the Secretary of the Senate on its behalf, knowingly uses,
manufactures, reproduces, sells or purchases for resale, either
separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any
likeness of the seal of the United States Senate, or any
substantial part thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the
article for the official use of the Government of the United
States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
six months, or both.
(d) Whoever, except as directed by the United States House of
Representatives, or the Clerk of the House of Representatives on
its behalf, knowingly uses, manufactures, reproduces, sells or
purchases for resale, either separately or appended to any article
manufactured or sold, any likeness of the seal of the United States
House of Representatives, or any substantial part thereof, except
for manufacture or sale of the article for the official use of the
Government of the United States, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(e) Whoever, except as directed by the United States Congress, or
the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of
Representatives, acting jointly on its behalf, knowingly uses,
manufactures, reproduces, sells or purchases for resale, either
separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any
likeness of the seal of the United States Congress, or any
substantial part thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the
article for the official use of the Government of the United
States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
six months, or both.
(f) A violation of the provisions of this section may be enjoined
at the suit of the Attorney General,
(1) in the case of the great seal of the United States and the
seals of the President and Vice President, upon complaint by any
authorized representative of any department or agency of the
United States;
(2) in the case of the seal of the United States Senate, upon
complaint by the Secretary of the Senate;
(3) in the case of the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, upon complaint by the Clerk of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) in the case of the seal of the United States Congress, upon
complaint by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the
House of Representatives, acting jointly.
SOURCE
(Added Pub. L. 89-807, Sec. 1(a), Nov. 11, 1966, 80 Stat. 1525;
amended Pub. L. 91-651, Sec. 1, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1940; Pub.
L. 102-229, title II, Sec. 210(a)-(d), Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat.
1717; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(E), Sept. 13,
1994, 108 Stat. 2146; Pub. L. 105-55, title III, Sec. 308(a)-(d),
Oct. 7, 1997, 111 Stat. 1198.)
AMENDMENTS
1997 - Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(d), substituted "the seal of the
United States Senate, the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, and the seal of the United States Congress" for
"and the seal of the United States Senate" in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(a), inserted "or the seal
of the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the
United States Congress," after "Senate,".
Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(b), added subsecs.
(d) and (e). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(b)(1), redesignated subsec.
(d) as (f).
Subsec. (f)(3), (4). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(c), added pars. (3)
and (4).
1994 - Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined
under this title" for "fined not more than $250".
1991 - Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(a), substituted "the seals of
the President and Vice President, and the seal of the United States
Senate" for "and of the seals of the President and Vice President"
in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(b), inserted "or the seal
of the United States Senate," after "Vice President of the United
States,".
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(c), (d), added
subsec. (c), amended former subsec. (c) generally, and redesignated
former subsec. (c) as (d). Prior to amendment and redesignation,
former subsec. (c) read as follows: "A violation of subsection (a)
or (b) of this section may be enjoined at the suit of the Attorney
General upon complaint by any authorized representative of any
department or agency of the United States."
1971 - Pub. L. 91-651 substituted "Use of likenesses of the great
seal of the United States, and of the seals of the President and
Vice President" for "Use of the great seal of the United States" in
section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91-651 redesignated existing provisions as
subsec. (a), expanded prohibition to include likenesses of the
seals of the President and Vice President, and added to the
enumerated list of prohibited uses for likenesses of the great seal
of the United States and for the seals of the President and Vice
President, use in posters, public meetings, or on any building,
monument, or stationery.
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 91-651 added subsecs. (b) and (c).
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1971 AMENDMENT
Section 3 of Pub. L. 91-651 provided that: The amendments made by
this Act [amending this section] shall not make unlawful any
preexisting use of the design of the great seal of the United
States or of the seals of the President or Vice President of the
United States that was lawful on the date of enactment of this Act
[Jan. 5, 1971], until one year after the date of such enactment."
EXECUTIVE ORDER
EX. ORD. NO. 11649. REGULATIONS GOVERNING SEALS OF PRESIDENT AND
VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES
Ex. Ord. No. 11649, Feb. 16, 1972, 37 F.R. 3625, as amended by
Ex. Ord. No. 11916, May 28, 1976, 41 F.R. 22031, provided:
By virtue to the authority vested in me by section 713(b) of
title 18, United States Code, I hereby prescribe the following
regulations governing the use of the Seals of the President and the
Vice President of the United States:
Section 1. Except as otherwise provided by law, the knowing
manufacture, reproduction, sale, or purchase for resale of the
Seals or Coats of Arms of the President or the Vice President of
the United States, or any likeness or substantial part thereof,
shall be permitted only for the following uses:
(a) Use by the President or Vice President of the United States;
(b) Use in encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, journals,
pamphlets, periodicals, or magazines incident to a description or
history of seals, coats of arms, heraldry, or the Presidency or
Vice Presidency;
(c) Use in libraries, museums, or educational facilities incident
to descriptions or exhibits relating to seals, coats of arms,
heraldry, or the Presidency or Vice Presidency;
(d) Use as an architectural embellishment in libraries, museums,
or archives established to house the papers or effects of former
Presidents or Vice Presidents;
(e) Use on a monument to a former President or Vice President;
(f) Use by way of photographic or electronic visual reproduction
in pictures, moving pictures, or telecasts of bona fide news
content;
(g) Such other uses for exceptional historical, educational, or
newsworthy purposes as may be authorized in writing by the Counsel
to the President.
Sec. 2. The manufacture, reproduction, sale, or purchase for
resale, either separately or appended to any article manufactured
or sold, of the Seals of the President or Vice President, or any
likeness or substantial part thereof, except as provided in this
Order or as otherwise provided by law, is prohibited.
Richard Nixon.