StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

18 U.S.C. § 2512

Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov
  1. (1)Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, any person who intentionally—shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
  2. (2)It shall not be unlawful under this section for—to send through the mail, send or carry in interstate or foreign commerce, or manufacture, assemble, possess, or sell any electronic, mechanical, or other device knowing or having reason to know that the design of such device renders it primarily useful for the purpose of the surreptitious interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications.
  3. (3)It shall not be unlawful under this section to advertise for sale a device described in subsection (1) of this section if the advertisement is mailed, sent, or carried in interstate or foreign commerce solely to a domestic provider of wire or electronic communication service or to an agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof which is duly authorized to use such device.