Federal · Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

22 U.S.C. § 4202: Exaction of excessive fees for verification of invoices; penalty

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Consular officers who charge fees exceeding the statutory amount for invoice verification or demand unauthorized fees for official services face imprisonment up to one year, fines up to $2,000, and removal from office.

Read the full statutory text

The fee provided by law for the verification of invoices by consular officers shall, when paid, be held to be a full payment for furnishing blank forms of declaration to be signed by the shipper, and for making, signing, and sealing the certificate of the consular officer thereto; and any consular officer who, under pretense of charging for blank forms, advice, or clerical services in the preparation of such declaration or certificate, charges or receives any fee greater in amount than that provided by law for the verification of invoices, or who demands or receives for any official services, or who allows any clerk or subordinate to receive for any such service, any fee or reward other than the fee provided by law for such service, shall be punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than $2,000, and shall be removed from his office.

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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.