§ 713. — Use of likenesses of the great seal of the United States, the seals of the President and Vice President, the seal of the United States Senate, the seal of the United States House of Representatives, and the seal of the United States Congress.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC713]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 33--EMBLEMS, INSIGNIA, AND NAMES
Sec. 713. Use of likenesses of the great seal of the United
States, the seals of the President and Vice President, the seal
of the United States Senate, the seal of the United States House
of Representatives, and the seal of the United States Congress
(a) Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likeness of the
great seal of the United States, or of the seals of the President or the
Vice President of the United States, or the seal of the United States
Senate, or the seal of the United States House of Representatives, or
the seal of the United States Congress, or any facsimile thereof, in, or
in connection with, any advertisement, poster, circular, book, pamphlet,
or other publication, public meeting, play, motion picture, telecast, or
other production, or on any building, monument, or stationery, for the
purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a
false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the
United States or by any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof,
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months,
or both.
(b) Whoever, except as authorized under regulations promulgated by
the President and published in the Federal Register, knowingly
manufactures, reproduces, sells, or purchases for resale, either
separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any likeness
of the seals of the President or Vice President, or any substantial part
thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the article for the official
use of the Government of the United States, shall be fined under this
title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(c) Whoever, except as directed by the United States Senate, or the
Secretary of the Senate on its behalf, knowingly uses, manufactures,
reproduces, sells or purchases for resale, either separately or appended
to any article manufactured or sold, any likeness of the seal of the
United States Senate, or any substantial part thereof, except for
manufacture or sale of the article for the official use of the
Government of the United States, shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(d) Whoever, except as directed by the United States House of
Representatives, or the Clerk of the House of Representatives on its
behalf, knowingly uses, manufactures, reproduces, sells or purchases for
resale, either separately or appended to any article manufactured or
sold, any likeness of the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, or any substantial part thereof, except for manufacture
or sale of the article for the official use of the Government of the
United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more
than six months, or both.
(e) Whoever, except as directed by the United States Congress, or
the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of
Representatives, acting jointly on its behalf, knowingly uses,
manufactures, reproduces, sells or purchases for resale, either
separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any likeness
of the seal of the United States Congress, or any substantial part
thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the article for the official
use of the Government of the United States, shall be fined under this
title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(f) A violation of the provisions of this section may be enjoined at
the suit of the Attorney General,
(1) in the case of the great seal of the United States and the
seals of the President and Vice President, upon complaint by any
authorized representative of any department or agency of the United
States;
(2) in the case of the seal of the United States Senate, upon
complaint by the Secretary of the Senate;
(3) in the case of the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, upon complaint by the Clerk of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) in the case of the seal of the United States Congress, upon
complaint by the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House
of Representatives, acting jointly.
(Added Pub. L. 89-807, Sec. 1(a), Nov. 11, 1966, 80 Stat. 1525; amended
Pub. L. 91-651, Sec. 1, Jan. 5, 1971, 84 Stat. 1940; Pub. L. 102-229,
title II, Sec. 210(a)-(d), Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1717; Pub. L. 103-
322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(E), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146;
Pub. L. 105-55, title III, Sec. 308(a)-(d), Oct. 7, 1997, 111 Stat.
1198.)
Amendments
1997--Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(d), substituted ``the seal of the
United States Senate, the seal of the United States House of
Representatives, and the seal of the United States Congress'' for ``and
the seal of the United States Senate'' in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(a), inserted ``or the seal of
the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the United
States Congress,'' after ``Senate,''.
Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(b), added subsecs. (d)
and (e). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (f).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(b)(1), redesignated subsec.
(d) as (f).
Subsec. (f)(3), (4). Pub. L. 105-55, Sec. 308(c), added pars. (3)
and (4).
1994--Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under
this title'' for ``fined not more than $250''.
1991--Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(a), substituted ``the seals of the
President and Vice President, and the seal of the United States Senate''
for ``and of the seals of the President and Vice President'' in section
catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(b), inserted ``or the seal of
the United States Senate,'' after ``Vice President of the United
States,''.
Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 102-229, Sec. 210(c), (d), added subsec.
(c), amended former subsec. (c) generally, and redesignated former
subsec. (c) as (d). Prior to amendment and redesignation, former subsec.
(c) read as follows: ``A violation of subsection (a) or (b) of this
section may be enjoined at the suit of the Attorney General upon
complaint by any authorized representative of any department or agency
of the United States.''
1971--Pub. L. 91-651 substituted ``Use of likenesses of the great
seal of the United States, and of the seals of the President and Vice
President'' for ``Use of the great seal of the United States'' in
section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 91-651 redesignated existing provisions as
subsec. (a), expanded prohibition to include likenesses of the seals of
the President and Vice President, and added to the enumerated list of
prohibited uses for likenesses of the great seal of the United States
and for the seals of the President and Vice President, use in posters,
public meetings, or on any building, monument, or stationery.
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 91-651 added subsecs. (b) and (c).
Effective Date of 1971 Amendment
Section 3 of Pub. L. 91-651 provided that: The amendments made by
this Act [amending this section] shall not make unlawful any preexisting
use of the design of the great seal of the United States or of the seals
of the President or Vice President of the United States that was lawful
on the date of enactment of this Act [Jan. 5, 1971], until one year
after the date of such enactment.''
Ex. Ord. No. 11649. Regulations Governing Seals of President and Vice
President of United States
Ex. Ord. No. 11649, Feb. 16, 1972, 37 F.R. 3625, as amended by Ex.
Ord. No. 11916, May 28, 1976, 41 F.R. 22031, provided:
By virtue to the authority vested in me by section 713(b) of title
18, United States Code, I hereby prescribe the following regulations
governing the use of the Seals of the President and the Vice President
of the United States:
Section 1. Except as otherwise provided by law, the knowing
manufacture, reproduction, sale, or purchase for resale of the Seals or
Coats of Arms of the President or the Vice President of the United
States, or any likeness or substantial part thereof, shall be permitted
only for the following uses:
(a) Use by the President or Vice President of the United States;
(b) Use in encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, journals, pamphlets,
periodicals, or magazines incident to a description or history of seals,
coats of arms, heraldry, or the Presidency or Vice Presidency;
(c) Use in libraries, museums, or educational facilities incident to
descriptions or exhibits relating to seals, coats of arms, heraldry, or
the Presidency or Vice Presidency;
(d) Use as an architectural embellishment in libraries, museums, or
archives established to house the papers or effects of former Presidents
or Vice Presidents;
(e) Use on a monument to a former President or Vice President;
(f) Use by way of photographic or electronic visual reproduction in
pictures, moving pictures, or telecasts of bona fide news content;
(g) Such other uses for exceptional historical, educational, or
newsworthy purposes as may be authorized in writing by the Counsel to
the President.
Sec. 2. The manufacture, reproduction, sale, or purchase for resale,
either separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, of
the Seals of the President or Vice President, or any likeness or
substantial part thereof, except as provided in this Order or as
otherwise provided by law, is prohibited.
Richard Nixon.
