US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

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[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC553]

 
                 TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
 
                             PART I--CRIMES
 
                           CHAPTER 27--CUSTOMS
 
Sec. 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) in the case of a motor vehicle, is not a violation of 
    section 511 of this title (relating to altering or removing motor 
    vehicle identification numbers); or
        (B) in the case of off-highway mobile equipment, would not be a 
    violation of section 511 of this title if such equipment were a 
    motor vehicle.

    (c) As used in this section, the term--
        (1) ``motor vehicle'' has the meaning given that term in section 
    32101 of title 49;
        (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) ``vessel'' has the meaning given that term in section 401 of 
    the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1401);
        (4) ``aircraft'' has the meaning given that term in section 
    40102(a) of title 49; and
        (5) ``identification number''--
            (A) in the case of a motor vehicle, has the meaning given 
        that term in section 511 of this title; 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.

(Added Pub. L. 98-547, title III, Sec. 301(a), Oct. 25, 1984, 98 Stat. 
2771; amended Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, Sec. 7021, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 
Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 102-519, title I, Sec. 102, Oct. 25, 1992, 106 Stat. 
3385; Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1374.)


                               Amendments

    1994--Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5)(A), substituted 
``section 32101 of title 49'' for ``section 2 of the Motor Vehicle 
Information and Cost Savings Act''.
    Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(5)(B), substituted 
``section 40102(a) of title 49'' for ``section 101 of the Federal 
Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. App. 1301)''.
    1992--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-519 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.
    1988--Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 100-690 amended par. (2) generally. 
Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: ``is not a violation of 
section 511 of this title.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 981, 982 of this title.