US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

18 U.S.C. § 1004

Certification of checks

1

1 See References in Text note below.
Whoever, being an officer, director, agent, or employee of any Federal Reserve bank, member bank of the Federal Reserve System, insured bank (as defined in section 3(h) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act), branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a)  of the Federal Reserve Act, certifies a check before the amount thereof has been regularly deposited in the bank, branch, agency, or organization, by the drawer thereof, or resorts to any device, or receives any fictitious obligation, directly or collaterally, in order to evade any of the provisions of law relating to certification of checks, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

June 25, 1948, ch. 64562 Stat. 749Pub. L. 101–647, title XXV, § 2597(g)104 Stat. 4910Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K)108 Stat. 2147(, ; , , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

section 591 of title 12July 12, 1882, ch. 290, § 1322 Stat. 166Sept. 26, 1918, ch. 177, § 740 Stat. 972Feb. 25, 1927, ch. 191, § 1244 Stat. 1231Based on , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking (R.S. § 5208; , ; , ; , ).

section 1 of this titleWords “be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall” were omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of misdemeanor in .

Words “on conviction thereof” were omitted as surplusage, because punishment cannot be imposed until after conviction.

section 3231 of this titleWords “in any district court of the United States” were omitted as unnecessary, because confers jurisdiction on Federal district courts of all crimes and offenses defined in this title.

Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1813(h) of Title 12Section 3(h) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, referred to in text, is classified to , Banks and Banking.

section 3101 of Title 12Section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978, referred to in text, is classified to .

Pub. L. 102–242, title I, § 142(e)(2)105 Stat. 2281Section 25 of the Federal Reserve Act, referred to in text, is classified to subchapter I (§ 601 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12. Section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act, which is classified to subchapter II (§ 611 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12, was renumbered section 25A of that act by , , .

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–3221994— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Pub. L. 101–6471990— substituted a comma for “or” after “Federal Reserve bank” and inserted “insured bank (as defined in section 3(h) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act), branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in paragraphs (1) and (3) of section 1(b) of the International Banking Act of 1978), or organization operating under section 25 or section 25(a) of the Federal Reserve Act,” after “Federal Reserve System,” and “, branch, agency, or organization,” after “has been regularly deposited in the bank”.