Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 952: Diplomatic codes and correspondence

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Unauthorized disclosure of diplomatic codes or correspondence by a U.S. employee is prohibited and punishable by fine, imprisonment up to ten years, or both.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever, by virtue of his employment by the United States, obtains from another or has or has had custody of or access to, any official diplomatic code or any matter prepared in any such code, or which purports to have been prepared in any such code, and without authorization or competent authority, willfully publishes or furnishes to another any such code or matter, or any matter which was obtained while in the process of transmission between any foreign government and its diplomatic mission in the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, 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.