18 U.S.C. § 553 | Importation or exportation of stolen motor vehicles, off-highway mobile equipment, vessels, or aircraft

(a)

Whoever knowingly imports, exports, or attempts to import or export—

(1)

any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, aircraft, or part of any motor vehicle, off-highway mobile equipment, vessel, or aircraft, knowing the same to have been stolen; or

(2)

any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment or part of any motor vehicle or off-highway mobile equipment, knowing that the identification number of such motor vehicle, equipment, or part has been removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered;

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

(b)

Subsection (a)(2) shall not apply if the removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration—

(1)

is caused by collision or fire; or

(2)

(A)

section 511 of this title in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of (relating to altering or removing motor vehicle identification numbers); or

(B)

section 511 of this title in the case of off-highway mobile equipment, would not be a violation of if such equipment were a motor vehicle.

(c)

As used in this section, the term—

(1)

section 32101 of title 49 “motor vehicle” has the meaning given that term in ;

(2)

“off-highway mobile equipment” means any self-propelled agricultural equipment, self-propelled construction equipment, and self-propelled special use equipment, used or designed for running on land but not on rail or highway;

(3)

19 U.S.C. 1401 “vessel” has the meaning given that term in section 401 of the Tariff Act of 1930 ();

(4)

section 40102(a) of title 49 “aircraft” has the meaning given that term in ; and

(5)

“identification number”—

(A)

section 511 of this title in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given that term in ; and

(B)

in the case of any other vehicle or equipment covered by this section, means a number or symbol assigned to the vehicle or equipment, or part thereof, by the manufacturer primarily for the purpose of identifying such vehicle, equipment, or part.

Pub. L. 98–547, title III, § 301(a)Oct. 25, 198498 Stat. 2771 Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7021Nov. 18, 1988102 Stat. 4396 Pub. L. 102–519, title I, § 102Oct. 25, 1992106 Stat. 3385 Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5)July 5, 1994108 Stat. 1374(Added , , ; amended , , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5)(A)section 32101 of title 491994—Subsec. (c)(1). , substituted “” for “section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act”.

Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(5)(B)section 40102(a) of title 49Subsec. (c)(4). , substituted “” for “section 101 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1301)”.

Pub. L. 102–5191992—Subsec. (a). substituted “fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years” for “fined not more than $15,000 or imprisoned not more than five years” in concluding provisions.

Pub. L. 100–690 section 511 of this title1988—Subsec. (b)(2). amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “is not a violation of .”