                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                     CHAPTER 75--PASSPORTS AND VISAS
 
Sec. 1541. Issuance without authority

    Whoever, acting or claiming to act in any office or capacity under 
the United States, 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 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, 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)), 20 years (if the 
offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined 
in section 929(a) of this title)), 10 years (in the case of the first or 
second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facility \1\ 
such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 
15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.
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    \1\ So in original. Probably should be ``facilitate''.
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    For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' means a State of 
the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, 
territory, or possession of the United States.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 771; Pub. L. 103-322, title XIII, 
Sec. 130009(a)(1), title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 
Stat. 2030, 2147; Pub. L. 104-208, div. C, title II, Sec. 211(a)(2), 
Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-569; Pub. L. 104-294, title VI, 
Sec. 607(n), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3512.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on section 219 of title 22, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Foreign 
Relations and Intercourse (R.S. 4078; June 14, 1902, ch. 1088, Sec. 3, 
32 Stat. 386).
    The venue provision, which followed the punishment provisions, was 
omitted as covered by section 3238 of this title.
    Changes were made in phraseology.


                               Amendments

    1996--Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 607(n)(1), struck out ``or possession'' 
after ``or a State'' in first par.
    Pub. L. 104-294, Sec. 607(n)(2), added last par. defining ``State'' 
for purposes of this section.
    Pub. L. 104-208 substituted ``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)), 20 years (if the 
offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined 
in section 929(a) of this title)), 10 years (in the case of the first or 
second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facility such 
an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 
years (in the case of any other offense)'' for ``imprisoned not more 
than 10 years'' in third par.
    1994--Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(G), which directed the 
amendment of this section by substituting ``under this title'' for ``not 
more than $500'', could not be executed because the words ``not more 
than $500'' did not appear in text subsequent to amendment by Pub. L. 
103-322, Sec. 130009(a)(1). See below.
    Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 130009(a)(1), substituted ``under this title, 
imprisoned not more than 10 years'' for ``not more than $500 or 
imprisoned not more than one year'' in last par.


                    Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 104-208 applicable with respect to offenses 
occurring on or after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 211(c) of Pub. L. 104-
208, set out as a note under section 1028 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 982, 2516, 3291 of this 
title.
