18 U.S.C. § 471
Section 471 · Obligations or securities of United States
This is the Counterfeit Deterrence Act of 1992
Amended 3 times on record
Applied in 300 court decisions — leading case United States v. Wise (1992)
Most recently applied in United States v. Hartley (May 2022)
Applied most in the Ninth Circuit Circuit (38 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 472 · 18 U.S.C. § 371 · 18 U.S.C. § 3553
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, with intent to defraud, falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, or alters any obligation or other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §262 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §148, 35 Stat. 1115).
Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative.
Changes in phraseology were made.
Amendments
2001—Pub. L. 107–56 substituted “20 years” for “fifteen years”.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.
Termination Date of 2001 Amendment
Amendments by title III of Pub. L. 107–56 to terminate effective on and after the first day of fiscal year 2005 if Congress enacts a joint resolution that such amendments no longer have the force of law, see section 303 of Pub. L. 107–56, set out as a Four-Year Congressional Review; Expedited Consideration note under section 5311 of Title 31, Money and Finance.
Short Title of 1992 Amendment
Pub. L. 102–550, title XV, §1551, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 4070, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle E (§§1551–1554) of title XV of Pub. L. 102–550, enacting section 474A of this title and amending sections 474 and 504 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Counterfeit Deterrence Act of 1992’.”