36 CFR § 1230.12 - What are the penalties for unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t36/s1230.12"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "36 CFR § 1230.12 - What are the penalties for unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records?"
title_number: 36
title_name: "Parks, Forests, and Public Property"
section_number: "1230.12"
section_name: "What are the penalties for unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records?"
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "RECORDS MANAGEMENT"
part_number: "1230"
part_name: "UNLAWFUL OR ACCIDENTAL REMOVAL, DEFACING, ALTERATION, OR DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "44 U.S.C. 3105 and 3106."
regulatory_source: "74 FR 51014, Oct. 2, 2009, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "1230"
---


# 1230.12 What are the penalties for unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of records?

The penalties for the unlawful or accidental removal, defacing, alteration, or destruction of Federal records or the attempt to do so, include a fine, imprisonment, or both (18 U.S.C. 641 and 2071).