18 U.S.C. § 3
Accessory after the fact
United States · Title 18 — CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Status: effective
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- Citation
- 18 U.S.C. § 3, Accessory after the fact, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/448633
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Full text
Whoever, knowing that an offense against the United States has been committed, receives, relieves, comforts or assists the offender in order to hinder or prevent his apprehension, trial or punishment, is an accessory after the fact.
Except as otherwise expressly provided by any Act of Congress, an accessory after the fact shall be imprisoned not more than one-half the maximum term of imprisonment or (notwithstanding section 3571) fined not more than one-half the maximum fine prescribed for the punishment of the principal, or both; or if the principal is punishable by life imprisonment or death, the accessory shall be imprisoned not more than 15 years.
Legislative history
The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone. The law that originally enacted this section predates the public laws loaded here, so only later amendments are listed.
- Criminal Law and Procedure Technical Amendments Act of 1986House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Crime Control Act of 1990House: 313–1Senate: no recorded tally
- Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994