---
kind: "range"
citation: "18 U.S.C. §§ 1541–1544"
title: "18"
from: "1541"
to: "1544"
count: 4
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1541..1544"
---

# §1541. Issuance without authority


Whoever, acting or claiming to act in any office or capacity under the [United States](/usc/18/5.md), or a State, without lawful authority grants, issues, or verifies any passport or other instrument in the nature of a passport to or for any person whomsoever; or

Whoever, being a consular [officer](/usc/18/202.md?p=c) authorized to grant, issue, or verify passports, knowingly and willfully grants, issues, or verifies any such passport to or for any person not owing allegiance, to the [United States](/usc/18/5.md), whether a citizen or not—

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in [section 2331 of this title](/usc/18/2331.md))), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in [section 929(a) of this title](/usc/18/929.md?p=a))), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.

For purposes of this section, the term “State” means a State of the [United States](/usc/18/5.md), the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the [United States](/usc/18/5.md).


# §1542. False statement in application and use of passport


Whoever willfully and knowingly makes any false statement in an application for passport with intent to induce or secure the issuance of a passport under the authority of the [United States](/usc/18/5.md), either for his own use or the use of another, contrary to the laws regulating the issuance of passports or the rules prescribed pursuant to such laws; or

Whoever willfully and knowingly uses or attempts to use, or furnishes to another for use any passport the issue of which was secured in any way by reason of any false statement—

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in [section 2331 of this title](/usc/18/2331.md))), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in [section 929(a) of this title](/usc/18/929.md?p=a))), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.


# §1543. Forgery or false use of passport


Whoever falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, mutilates, or alters any passport or instrument purporting to be a passport, with intent that the same may be used; or

Whoever willfully and knowingly uses, or attempts to use, or furnishes to another for use any such false, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered passport or instrument purporting to be a passport, or any passport validly issued which has become void by the occurrence of any condition therein prescribed invalidating the same—

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in [section 2331 of this title](/usc/18/2331.md))), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in [section 929(a) of this title](/usc/18/929.md?p=a))), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.


# §1544. Misuse of passport


Whoever willfully and knowingly uses, or attempts to use, any passport issued or designed for the use of another; or

Whoever willfully and knowingly uses or attempts to use any passport in violation of the conditions or restrictions therein contained, or of the rules prescribed pursuant to the laws regulating the issuance of passports; or

Whoever willfully and knowingly furnishes, disposes of, or delivers a passport to any person, for use by another than the person for whose use it was originally issued and designed—

Shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in [section 2331 of this title](/usc/18/2331.md))), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in [section 929(a) of this title](/usc/18/929.md?p=a))), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.