False statement in application and use of passport
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever and knowingly makes any false statement in an application for passport with intent to induce or secure the issuance of a passport under the authority of the United States, either for his own use or the use of another, contrary to the laws regulating the issuance of passports or the rules prescribed pursuant to such laws; or
Whoever and knowingly uses or to use, or furnishes to another for use any passport the issue of which was secured in any way by reason of any false statement—
Shall be , imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in section 2331 of this title)), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in section 929(a) of this title)), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 771 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XIII, §130009(a)(2), title XXXIII, §330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2030 (PDF, 52 MB), 2147; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title II, §211(a)(2), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–569; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, §4002(a)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1806.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to knowingly make a false statement on a U.S. passport application to get a passport for yourself or someone else. It is also a crime to use, try to use, or give to someone else a passport that was obtained through a false statement.