§ 1463. — Mailing indecent matter on wrappers or envelopes.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1463]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 71--OBSCENITY
Sec. 1463. Mailing indecent matter on wrappers or envelopes
All matter otherwise mailable by law, upon the envelope or outside
cover or wrapper of which, and all postal cards upon which, any
delineations, epithets, terms, or language of an indecent, lewd,
lascivious, or obscene character are written or printed or otherwise
impressed or apparent, are nonmailable matter, and shall not be conveyed
in the mails nor delivered from any post office nor by any letter
carrier, and shall be withdrawn from the mails under such regulations as
the Postal Service shall prescribe.
Whoever knowingly deposits for mailing or delivery, anything
declared by this section to be nonmailable matter, or knowingly takes
the same from the mails for the purpose of circulating or disposing of
or aiding in the circulation or disposition of the same, shall be fined
under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 769; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(13),
Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII,
Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Sec. 335 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321,
Sec. 212, 35 Stat. 1129).
Said section 335 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was incorporated in
this section and section 1718 of this title.
Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary
in view of definition of ``principal'' in section 2 of this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $5,000'' in last par.
1970--Pub. L. 91-375 substituted ``Postal Service'' for ``Postmaster
General''.
Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12,
1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United
States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see
section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective Date note
preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 1961 of this title; title 19
section 1583; title 39 sections 3001, 3011.
