18 USC § 2342 - Unlawful acts

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s2342"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 2342 - Unlawful acts"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "2342"
section_name: "Unlawful acts"
chapter_number: 114
chapter_name: "TRAFFICKING IN CONTRABAND CIGARETTES AND SMOKELESS TOBACCO"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 95–575, § 1, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2464; amended Pub. L. 109–177, title I, § 121(a)(2), (b)(2), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 221, 222.)"
---


# § 2342. Unlawful acts

**(a)** It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to ship, transport, receive, possess, sell, distribute, or purchase contraband cigarettes or contraband smokeless tobacco.

**(b)** It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to make any false statement or representation with respect to the information required by this chapter to be kept in the records of any person who ships, sells, or distributes any quantity of cigarettes in excess of 10,000 in a single transaction.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 95–575, § 1, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2464; amended Pub. L. 109–177, title I, § 121(a)(2), (b)(2), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 221, 222.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2006—Subsec. (a). , inserted “or contraband smokeless tobacco” after “contraband cigarettes”.

Subsec. (b). , substituted “10,000” for “60,000”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Subsec. (a) of this section effective , and subsec. (b) of this section effective on first day of first month beginning more than 120 days after , see , set out as a note under .