WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure › Chapter 47

18 U.S.C. 1029: Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices

Created in 1984 by Public Law 98-473. Changed by 9 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.

3 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 10 U.S.C. 921a, 20 U.S.C. 1092b, 20 U.S.C. 1097.

This Congress

No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.

    How it got here

    2015

    • Pub. L. 114–113 substituted "title if the offense involves an access device issued, owned, managed, or controlled by a financial institution, account issuer, credit card system member, or other entity organized under the laws of the United States, or any State, the District of Columbia… (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016) Law text · (h)

    2002

    • Pub. L. 107–273, §4002(b)(11)(A), substituted "(9)" for "(9),". (21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act) Law text · (c)
    • Pub. L. 107–273, §4002(b)(11)(B), inserted semicolon at end. (21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act) Law text · (e)

    2001

    • Pub. L. 107–56 added subsec. (h). (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001) Law text · (h)

    1998

    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(a), added pars. (8) and (9), redesignated former par. (9) as (10), and struck out former par. (8) which read as follows: "knowingly and with intent to defraud uses, produces, traffics in, has control or custody of, or possesses— Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(b)(2), substituted "subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense attempted" for "punished as provided in subsection (c) of this section". Law text · (b)
    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(b)(1), amended subsec. (c) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (c) read as follows: "The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) or (b)(1) of this section is— Law text · (c)
    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(c), inserted "or to intercept an electronic serial number, mobile identification number, or other identifier of any telecommunications service, equipment, or instrument" before the period at end. Law text · (e)
    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(d)(2), added pars. (9) to (11). Law text · (e)
    • Pub. L. 105–172, §2(d)(1), added subsec. (g). Law text · (g)

    1996

    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(A), redesignated par. (5), relating to instruments that have been modified or altered to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services, as (7). (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(C), in par. (6) relating to solicitations, struck out "or" at end. (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(A), redesignated par. (6), relating to scanning receivers or other hardware or software used to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services, as (8). (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(A), (C), redesignated par. (5), relating to instruments that have been modified or altered to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services, as (7), and struck out "or" at end. Par. transferred to appear in numerical order to reflect probable … (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(B), redesignated par. (7) as (9). (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(A), (D), redesignated par. (6), relating to scanning receivers or other hardware or software used to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services, as (8) and inserted "or" at end. Par. transferred to appear in numerical order to reflect proba… (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(1)(B), redesignated par. (7) as (9). (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (a)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(3)(A), substituted "(7), (8), or (9)" for "or (7)". (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (c)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(3)(B), substituted "(6), (7), or (8)" for "or (6)". (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (c)
    • Pub. L. 104–294, §601(l)(2), redesignated par. (7), defining "scanning receiver", as (8). (Economic Espionage Act of 1996) Law text · (e), (8)

    1994

    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(1)(A), and Pub. L. 103–414, §206(a)(1), amended par. (3) identically, striking "or" at end. · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–414, §206(a)(2), added par. (5) relating to instruments that have been modified or altered to obtain unauthorized use of telecommunications services. · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(1)(B), added par. (5) relating to transactions involving use of access devices issued to persons other than user. · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–414, §206(a)(2), added par. (6) relating to scanning receivers or other hardware or software used to obtain unauthorized access to telecommunications services. · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(1)(B), added par. (6) relating to solicitations which offer access devices or information regarding access devices. · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(1)(B), added par. (7). · (a)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(2)(I), substituted "fine under this title or twice the value obtained by the offense, whichever is greater, or imprisonment" for "fine of not more than the greater of $10,000 or twice the value obtained by the offense or imprisonment". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(2), substituted "(a)(2), (3), (5), (6), or (7)" for "(a)(2) or (a)(3)". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 103–414, §206(b), substituted "(a)(1), (4), (5), or (6)" for "(a)(1) or (a)(4)". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(2)(I), substituted "fine under this title or twice the value obtained by the offense, whichever is greater, or imprisonment" for "fine of not more than the greater of $50,000 or twice the value obtained by the offense or imprisonment". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §330016(2)(I), substituted "fine under this title or twice the value obtained by the offense, whichever is greater, or imprisonment" for "fine of not more than the greater of $100,000 or twice the value obtained by the offense or imprisonment". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 103–414, §206(c)(1), inserted "electronic serial number, mobile identification number, personal identification number, or other telecommunications service, equipment, or instrument identifier," after "account number,". · (e)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(3)(A), (B), and Pub. L. 103–414, §206(c)(2), (3), amended subsec. (e) identically, striking "and" at end of par. (5) and substituting "; and" for period at end of par. (6). · (e), (6)
    • Pub. L. 103–414, §206(c)(4), added par. (7) defining "scanning receiver". · (e)
    • Pub. L. 103–322, §250007(3)(C), added par. (7) defining "credit card system member". · (e)

    1990

    • Pub. L. 101–647 inserted at end "For purposes of this subsection, the term 'State' includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States." · (f)

    1986

    • Pub. L. 99–646 which directed that subsec. (f) be amended by substituting "chapter 224 of this title" for "title V of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970 (18 U.S.C. note prec. 3481)" was executed by making the substitution for "title V of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970) 18… · (f)

    Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.