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CITE

    18 USC Sec. 553                                             01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
    PART I - CRIMES
    CHAPTER 27 - CUSTOMS

HEAD

    Sec. 553. Importation or exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-
      highway mobile equipment, vessels, or aircraft

STATUTE

      (a) Whoever knowingly imports, exports, or attempts to import or
    export -
        (1) any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel,
      aircraft, or part of any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile
      equipment, vessel, or aircraft, knowing the same to have been
      stolen; or
        (2) any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment or part
      of any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment, knowing
      that the identification number of such motor vehicle, equipment,
      or part has been removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered;
    shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10
    years, or both.
      (b) Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply if the removal,
    obliteration, tampering, or alteration -
        (1) is caused by collision or fire; or
        (2)(A) in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of
      section 511 of this title (relating to altering or removing motor
      vehicle identification numbers); or
        (B) in the case of off-highway mobile equipment, would not be a
      violation of section 511 of this title if such equipment were a
      motor vehicle.
      (c) As used in this section, the term -
        (1) "motor vehicle" has the meaning given that term in section
      32101 of title 49;
        (2) "off-highway mobile equipment" means any self-propelled
      agricultural equipment, self-propelled construction equipment,
      and self-propelled special use equipment, used or designed for
      running on land but not on rail or highway;
        (3) "vessel" has the meaning given that term in section 401 of
      the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401);
        (4) "aircraft" has the meaning given that term in section
      40102(a) of title 49; and
        (5) "identification number" -
          (A) in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given
        that term in section 511 of this title; and
          (B) in the case of any other vehicle or equipment covered by
        this section, means a number or symbol assigned to the vehicle
        or equipment, or part thereof, by the manufacturer primarily
        for the purpose of identifying such vehicle, equipment, or
        part.

SOURCE

    (Added Pub. L. 98-547, title III, Sec. 301(a), Oct. 25, 1984, 98
    Stat. 2771; amended Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, Sec. 7021, Nov. 18,
    1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 102-519, title I, Sec. 102, Oct. 25,
    1992, 106 Stat. 3385; Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5), July 5, 1994,
    108 Stat. 1374.)

AMENDMENTS

      1994 - Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5)(A),
    substituted "section 32101 of title 49" for "section 2 of the Motor
    Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act".
      Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5)(B), substituted
    "section 40102(a) of title 49" for "section 101 of the Federal
    Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1301)".
      1992 - Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-519 substituted "fined under this
    title or imprisoned not more than 10 years" for "fined not more
    than $15,000 or imprisoned not more than five years" in concluding
    provisions.
      1988 - Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 100-690 amended par. (2)
    generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: "is not a
    violation of section 511 of this title."