7 USC § 221 - Accounts and records of business; punishment for failure to keep

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s221"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 221 - Accounts and records of business; punishment for failure to keep"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "221"
section_name: "Accounts and records of business; punishment for failure to keep"
chapter_number: 9
chapter_name: "PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 15, 1921, ch. 64, title IV, § 401, 42 Stat. 168; Aug. 15, 1921, ch. 64, title V, § 503, as added Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 532, 49 Stat. 649; Pub. L. 100–173, § 6, Nov. 23, 1987, 101 Stat. 918; Pub. L. 107–171, title X, § 10502(b)(2)(C), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 510.)"
---


# § 221. Accounts and records of business; punishment for failure to keep

Every packer, any swine contractor, and any live poultry dealer, stockyard owner, market agency, and dealer shall keep such accounts, records, and memoranda as fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in his business, including the true ownership of such business by stockholding or otherwise. Whenever the Secretary finds that the accounts, records, and memoranda of any such person do not fully and correctly disclose all transactions involved in his business, the Secretary may prescribe the manner and form in which such accounts, records, and memoranda shall be kept, and thereafter any such person who fails to keep such accounts, records, and memoranda in the manner and form prescribed or approved by the Secretary shall upon conviction be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 15, 1921, ch. 64, title IV, § 401, 42 Stat. 168; Aug. 15, 1921, ch. 64, title V, § 503, as added Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 532, 49 Stat. 649; Pub. L. 100–173, § 6, Nov. 23, 1987, 101 Stat. 918; Pub. L. 107–171, title X, § 10502(b)(2)(C), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 510.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2002— inserted “any swine contractor, and” after “packer,”.

1987— substituted “, any live poultry dealer,” for “or any live poultry dealer or handler,”.

1935—Act , title V, § 503, as added , inserted “or any live poultry dealer or handler” after “packer” wherever appearing.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1987 Amendment

Amendment by  effective 90 days after , see , set out as a note under .

### Liens or Security Interests Against Livestock; Interagency Task Force To Recommend Method of Providing Information to Purchasers; Report to Congress

, , , required the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint a task force to recommend methods of providing information to purchasers of livestock concerning the existence of a lien or security interest against livestock and to submit a report to Congress not later than .