                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                          CHAPTER 71--OBSCENITY
 
Sec. 1463. Mailing indecent matter on wrappers or envelopes

    All matter otherwise mailable by law, upon the envelope or outside 
cover or wrapper of which, and all postal cards upon which, any 
delineations, epithets, terms, or language of an indecent, lewd, 
lascivious, or obscene character are written or printed or otherwise 
impressed or apparent, are nonmailable matter, and shall not be conveyed 
in the mails nor delivered from any post office nor by any letter 
carrier, and shall be withdrawn from the mails under such regulations as 
the Postal Service shall prescribe.
    Whoever knowingly deposits for mailing or delivery, anything 
declared by this section to be nonmailable matter, or knowingly takes 
the same from the mails for the purpose of circulating or disposing of 
or aiding in the circulation or disposition of the same, shall be fined 
under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 769; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(13), 
Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, 
Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Sec. 335 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, 
Sec. 212, 35 Stat. 1129).
    Said section 335 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was incorporated in 
this section and section 1718 of this title.
    Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary 
in view of definition of ``principal'' in section 2 of this title.
    Minor changes were made in phraseology.


                               Amendments

    1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for 
``fined not more than $5,000'' in last par.
    1970--Pub. L. 91-375 substituted ``Postal Service'' for ``Postmaster 
General''.


                    Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 
1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United 
States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see 
section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective Date note 
preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1961 of this title; title 39 
sections 3001, 3011.
