21 USC § 961 - Prohibited acts B

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s961"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "21 USC § 961 - Prohibited acts B"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
section_number: "961"
section_name: "Prohibited acts B"
chapter_number: 13
chapter_name: "DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "IMPORT AND EXPORT"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 91–513, title III, § 1011, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1290; Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6053(d), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4316.)"
---


# § 961. Prohibited acts B

Any person who violates section 954 of this title or fails to notify the Attorney General of an importation or exportation under section 971 of this title shall be subject to the following penalties:

**(1)** Except as provided in paragraph (2), any such person shall, with respect to any such violation, be subject to a civil penalty of not more than $25,000. Sections 842(c)(1) and (c)(3) of this title shall apply to any civil penalty assessed under this paragraph.

**(2)** If such a violation is prosecuted by an information or indictment which alleges that the violation was committed knowingly or intentionally and the trier of fact specifically finds that the violation was so committed, such person shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or a fine of not more than $25,000 or both.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 91–513, title III, § 1011, Oct. 27, 1970, 84 Stat. 1290; Pub. L. 100–690, title VI, § 6053(d), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4316.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1988— inserted “or fails to notify the Attorney General of an importation or exportation under ”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by  effective 120 days after , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date

Section effective on first day of seventh calendar month that begins after , see 1105(a) of , set out as a under .