39 USC § 405 - Printing of illustrations of United States postage stamps

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t39/s405"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "39 USC § 405 - Printing of illustrations of United States postage stamps"
title_number: 39
title_name: "POSTAL SERVICE"
section_number: "405"
section_name: "Printing of illustrations of United States postage stamps"
chapter_number: 4
chapter_name: "GENERAL AUTHORITY"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "GENERAL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 724; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(d), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.)"
---


# § 405. Printing of illustrations of United States postage stamps

**(a)** When requested by the Postal Service, the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall print, as a public document for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, illustrations in black and white or in color of postage stamps of the United States, together with such descriptive, historical, and philatelic information with regard to the stamps as the Postal Service deems suitable.

**(b)** Notwithstanding the provisions of section 505 of title 44, stereotype or electrotype plates, or duplicates thereof, used in the publications authorized to be printed by this section may not be sold or otherwise disposed of.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 724; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(d), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Director of the Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Public Printer” in subsec. (a) on authority of , set out as a note under , Public Printing and Documents.

### Effective Date

Section effective , pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See , set out as a note preceding .