Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 1720: Canceled stamps and envelopes

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits using canceled postage stamps or stamped envelopes in payment, removing cancellation marks, possessing them with intent to reuse, or unlawfully removing stamps from mail. Penalties include fines and up to one year imprisonment; postal employees face up to three years.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever uses or attempts to use in payment of postage, any canceled postage stamp, whether the same has been used or not, or removes, attempts to remove, or assists in removing, the canceling or defacing marks from any postage stamp, or the superscription from any stamped envelope, or postal card, that has once been used in payment of postage, with the intent to use the same for a like purpose, or to sell or offer to sell the same, or knowingly possesses any such postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, with intent to use the same or knowingly sells or offers to sell any such postage stamp, stamped envelope, or postal card, or uses or attempts to use the same in payment of postage; or Whoever unlawfully and willfully removes from any mail matter any stamp attached thereto in payment of postage; or Whoever knowingly uses in payment of postage, any postage stamp, postal card, or stamped envelope, issued in pursuance of law, which has already been used for a like purpose— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; but if he is a person employed in the Postal Service, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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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.