# § 513. Securities of the States and private entities
**1** Whoever makes, utters or possesses a counterfeited security of a State or a political subdivision thereof or of an organization, or whoever makes, utters or possesses a forged security of a State or political subdivision thereof or of an organization, with intent to deceive another person, organization, or government shall be fined under this title [^1] or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both.
See 1994 Amendment note below.
**(b)** Whoever makes, receives, possesses, sells or otherwise transfers an implement designed for or particularly suited for making a counterfeit or forged security with the intent that it be so used shall be punished by a fine under this title or by imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.
**(c)** For purposes of this section—
**(1)** the term “counterfeited” means a document that purports to be genuine but is not, because it has been falsely made or manufactured in its entirety;
**(2)** the term “forged” means a document that purports to be genuine but is not because it has been falsely altered, completed, signed, or endorsed, or contains a false addition thereto or insertion therein, or is a combination of parts of two or more genuine documents;
**(3)** the term “security” means—
**2** a note, stock certificate, treasury stock certificate, bond, treasury bond, debenture, certificate of deposit, interest coupon, bill, check, draft, warrant, debit instrument as defined in section 916(c) [^2] of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, money order, traveler’s check, letter of credit, warehouse receipt, negotiable bill of lading, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest in or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-reorganization certificate of subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting trust certificate, or certificate of interest in tangible or intangible property;
See References in Text note below.
**(B)** an instrument evidencing ownership of goods, wares, or merchandise;
**(C)** any other written instrument commonly known as a security;
**(D)** a certificate of interest in, certificate of participation in, certificate for, receipt for, or warrant or option or other right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing; or
**(E)** a blank form of any of the foregoing;
**(4)** the term “organization” means a legal entity, other than a government, established or organized for any purpose, and includes a corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, joint stock company, foundation, institution, society, union, or any other association of persons which operates in or the activities of which affect interstate or foreign commerce; and
**(5)** the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 1105(a), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2144, § 511; renumbered § 513, Pub. L. 99–646, § 31(a), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3598; amended Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXV, § 3515, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4923; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §§ 330008(1), 330016(2)(C), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2142, 2148.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
Section 916 of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(3)(A), was renumbered section 917 by , , , and is classified to , Commerce and Trade.
### Amendments
1994—Subsec. (a). , which directed the amendment of this section by substituting “under this title” for “of not more than $250,000”, was executed by making the substitution for “not more than $250,000”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Subsec. (b). , substituted “fine under this title” for “fine of not more than $250,000”.
Subsec. (c)(4). , substituted “association of persons” for “association or persons”.
1990—Subsec. (c)(3)(A). struck out “()” after “Electronic Fund Transfer Act” and inserted comma after “profit-sharing agreement”.