18 U.S.C. § 1857
Section 1857 · Fences destroyed; livestock entering
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case Van Buren v. United States (2021)
Most recently applied in Van Buren v. United States (June 2021)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever knowingly and unlawfully breaks, opens, or destroys any gate, fence, hedge, or wall inclosing any lands of the United States reserved or purchased for any public use; or
Whoever drives any cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock upon any such lands for the purposes of destroying the grass or trees on said lands, or where they may destroy the said grass or trees; or
Whoever knowingly permits his cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock to enter through any such inclosure upon any such lands of the United States, where such cattle, horses, hogs, or other livestock may or can destroy the grass or trees or other property of the United States on the said lands—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
This section shall not apply to unreserved public lands.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §111 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §56, 35 Stat. 1099).
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in fourth par.
Cross References
Driving stock to feed on Indian lands, see section 179 of Title 25, Indians.
Grazing lands, see section 315 et seq. of Title 43, Public Lands.
Provisions relating to fences and grazing generally, see Title 16, Conservation.