49 U.S.C. § 5104
Section 5104 · Representation and tampering
Amended 4 times on record
Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case United States v. Shearer (2007)
Most recently applied in BNSF Ry. Co. v. Cal. Dep't of Tax & Fee Admin. (September 2018)
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.
(a) Representation.—A person may represent, by marking or otherwise, that—
(1) a package, component of a package, or packaging for transporting hazardous material is safe, certified, or complies with this chapter only if the package, component of a package, or packaging meets the requirements of each applicable regulation prescribed under this chapter; or
(2) hazardous material is present in a package, container, motor vehicle, rail freight car, aircraft, or vessel only if the material is present.
(b) Tampering.—No person may alter, remove, destroy, or otherwise tamper unlawfully with—
(1) a marking, label, placard, or description on a document required under this chapter or a regulation prescribed under this chapter; or
(2) a package, component of a package, or packaging, container, motor vehicle, rail freight car, aircraft, or vessel used to transport hazardous material.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5104(a) 49 App.:1804(e). Jan. 3, 1975, Pub. L. 93–633, 88 Stat. 2156, §105(e), (f); added Nov. 16, 1990, Pub. L. 101–615, §5, 104 Stat. 3252. 5104(b) 49 App.:1804(f). In subsection (a)(1), the words “the requirements of” and “applicable” are omitted as surplus.
In subsection (b), before clause (1), the word “deface” is omitted as surplus.
Pub. L. 103–429
This amends 49:5104(a)(1) to clarify the restatement of 49 App.:1804(e)(1) by section 1 of the Act of July 5, 1994 (Public Law 103–272, 108 Stat. 761).
Amendments
2005—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–59, §7106(a), substituted “a package, component of a package, or packaging for” for “a container, package, or packaging (or a component of a container, package, or packaging) for” and “the package, component of a package, or packaging meets” for “the container, package, or packaging (or a component of a container, package, or packaging) meets”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–59, §7106(b)(1), substituted “No person may” for “A person may not” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 109–59, §7106(b)(2), inserted “component of a package, or packaging,” after “package,”.
1994—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–429 inserted “applicable” after “each”.
Pub. L. 103–311 substituted “, package, or packaging (or a component of a container, package, or packaging)” for “or package” in two places.
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 103–429 effective July 5, 1994, see section 9 of Pub. L. 103–429, set out as a note under section 321 of this title.