Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 2311: Definitions

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute defines key terms used in criminal statutes, including aircraft, livestock, motor vehicles, securities, money, vessels, and value. These definitions establish meanings for use in other laws.

Read the full statutory text
As used in this chapter: “Aircraft” means any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used, or designed for navigation of or for flight in the air; “Cattle” means one or more bulls, steers, oxen, cows, heifers, or calves, or the carcass or carcasses thereof; “Livestock” means any domestic animals raised for home use, consumption, or profit, such as horses, pigs, llamas, goats, fowl, sheep, buffalo, and cattle, or the carcasses thereof; “Money” means the legal tender of the United States or of any foreign country, or any counterfeit thereof; “Motor vehicle” includes an automobile, automobile truck, automobile wagon, motorcycle, or any other self-propelled vehicle designed for running on land but not on rails; “Securities” includes any note, stock certificate, bond, debenture, check, draft, warrant, traveler’s check, letter of credit, warehouse receipt, negotiable bill of lading, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate; valid or blank motor vehicle title; certificate of interest in property, tangible or intangible; instrument or document or writing evidencing ownership of goods, wares, and merchandise, or transferring or assigning any right, title, or interest in or to goods, wares, and merchandise; or, in general, any instrument commonly known as a “security”, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, warrant, or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing, or any forged, counterfeited, or spurious representation of any of the foregoing; “Tax stamp” includes any tax stamp, tax token, tax meter imprint, or any other form of evidence of an obligation running to a State, or evidence of the discharge thereof; “Value” means the face, par, or market value, whichever is the greatest, and the aggregate value of all goods, wares, and merchandise, securities, and money referred to in a single indictment shall constitute the value thereof. “Vessel” means any watercraft or other contrivance used or designed for transportation or navigation on, under, or immediately above, water. has been connected with organized crime; deprives legitimate trademark and copyright owners of substantial revenues and consumer goodwill; poses health and safety threats to United States consumers; eliminates United States jobs; and is a multibillion-dollar drain on the United States economy.” to provide for the identification of certain motor vehicles and their major replacement parts to impede motor vehicle theft; to augment the Federal criminal penalties imposed upon persons trafficking in stolen motor vehicles; to encourage decreases in premiums charged consumers for motor vehicle theft insurance; and to reduce opportunities for exporting or importing stolen motor vehicles and off-highway mobile equipment.”

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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.