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CITE

    18 USC Sec. 2197                                            01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
    PART I - CRIMES
    CHAPTER 107 - SEAMEN AND STOWAWAYS

HEAD

    Sec. 2197. Misuse of Federal certificate, license or document

STATUTE

      Whoever, not being lawfully entitled thereto, uses, exhibits, or
    attempts to use or exhibit, or, with intent unlawfully to use the
    same, receives or possesses any certificate, license, or document
    issued to vessels, or officers or seamen by any officer or employee
    of the United States authorized by law to issue the same; or
      Whoever, without authority, alters or attempts to alter any such
    certificate, license, or document by addition, interpolation,
    deletion, or erasure; or
      Whoever forges, counterfeits, or steals, or attempts to forge,
    counterfeit, or steal, any such certificate, license, or document;
    or unlawfully possesses or knowingly uses any such altered,
    changed, forged, counterfeit, or stolen certificate, license, or
    document; or
      Whoever, without authority, prints or manufactures any blank form
    of such certificate, license, or document, or
      Whoever possesses without lawful excuse, and with intent
    unlawfully to use the same, any blank form of such certificate,
    license, or document; or
      Whoever, in any manner, transfers or negotiates such transfer of,
    any blank form of such certificate, license, or document, or any
    such altered, forged, counterfeit, or stolen certificate, license,
    or document, or any such certificate, license, or document to which
    the party transferring or receiving the same is not lawfully
    entitled -
      Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five
    years, or both.

SOURCE

    (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 801; Pub. L. 103-322, title
    XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

      Based on section 710a of title 46, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Shipping
    (June 25, 1936, ch. 816, Sec. 6, 49 Stat. 1936).
      The phrase "the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation,"
    identifying the agency issuing the certificate, license or
    document, was omitted without change of substance. The functions of
    the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation were transferred to
    the Bureau of Customs and the Coast Guard by Executive Order 9083
    Feb. 28, 1942, title 50, App. U.S.C., 1940 ed., following Sec. 601.
    Such transfer is temporary under section 621 of title 50, App.,
    U.S.C., 1940 ed. (First War Powers Act).
      As revised the section is broad enough to embrace certificates,
    licenses and documents issued by the officers or employees of the
    Coast Guard and Customs Service, as the case may be.
      Reference to persons causing, procuring, aiding or abetting was
    omitted as such persons are principals under section 2 of this
    title.
      Words "upon conviction thereof" were omitted as unnecessary,
    since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.
      Changes were made in phraseology and arrangement.
                                AMENDMENTS
      1994 - Pub. L. 103-322 substituted "fined under this title" for
    "fined not more than $5,000" in last par.