Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 1427: Sale of naturalization or citizenship papers

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

It is a felony to unlawfully sell or dispose of naturalization or citizenship documents. Penalties range from 10 to 25 years imprisonment depending on whether the offense facilitated terrorism or drug trafficking.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever unlawfully sells or disposes of a declaration of intention to become a citizen, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or copies or duplicates or other documentary evidence of naturalization or citizenship, shall be fined under this title or 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 facilitate 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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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.