18 USC § 333 - Mutilation of national bank obligations

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s333"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 333 - Mutilation of national bank obligations"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "333"
section_name: "Mutilation of national bank obligations"
chapter_number: 17
chapter_name: "COINS AND CURRENCY"
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: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)"
---


# § 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations

Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 291 (, ).

Words “or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System” were inserted because the paper of such banks has almost supplanted national bank currency.

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in .

Minor changes in phraseology were made.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1994— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”.