A federal charge names a law by its title and section in the United States Code. For example, “18 U.S.C. § 1343” means Title 18, section 1343, which is wire fraud. Find the statute below to go straight to the part of our guide that explains it: what the government must prove, the penalties, and the sentencing guideline that applies.
This index lists the 40 statutes our charge guides explain so far. We add more as we publish new guides, starting with the laws charged most often in federal court. If a statute isn’t here yet, see all federal charges we explain.
Title 18: Crimes and Criminal Procedure
- 18 U.S.C. § 220Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA)Official heading: “Illegal remunerations for referrals to recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories” · Explained in: Health care fraud and kickbacks
- 18 U.S.C. § 669Theft or embezzlement from a health care benefit programOfficial heading: “Theft or embezzlement in connection with health care” · Explained in: Health care fraud and kickbacks
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)Possession of a gun or ammunition by a prohibited personOfficial heading: “Unlawful acts” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(j)Possessing, selling or receiving a stolen gunOfficial heading: “Unlawful acts” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(k)Gun with a removed or altered serial numberOfficial heading: “Unlawful acts” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(o)Possession or transfer of a machine gunOfficial heading: “Unlawful acts” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)Gun used, carried or possessed in a drug trafficking crime or crime of violenceOfficial heading: “Penalties” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)Armed Career Criminal ActOfficial heading: “Penalties” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
- 18 U.S.C. § 1028Identity theft and false identification documentsOfficial heading: “Fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, authentication features, and information” · Explained in: Identity theft and aggravated identity theft
- 18 U.S.C. § 1028AAggravated identity theftOfficial heading: “Aggravated identity theft” · Explained in: Identity theft and aggravated identity theft
- 18 U.S.C. § 1029Access device fraud (credit cards, account numbers, skimmers)Official heading: “Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices” · Explained in: Identity theft and aggravated identity theft
- 18 U.S.C. § 1035False statements in a health care matterOfficial heading: “False statements relating to health care matters” · Explained in: Health care fraud and kickbacks
- 18 U.S.C. § 1341Mail fraudOfficial heading: “Frauds and swindles” · Explained in: Wire fraud and mail fraud
- 18 U.S.C. § 1343Wire fraudOfficial heading: “Fraud by wire, radio, or television” · Explained in: Wire fraud and mail fraud
- 18 U.S.C. § 1347Health care fraudOfficial heading: “Health care fraud” · Explained in: Health care fraud and kickbacks
- 18 U.S.C. § 1349Conspiracy or attempt to commit a chapter 63 fraudOfficial heading: “Attempt and conspiracy” · Explained in: Wire fraud and mail fraud
- 18 U.S.C. § 1956Money launderingOfficial heading: “Laundering of monetary instruments” · Explained in: Money laundering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1957Spending or moving more than $10,000 in criminal proceedsOfficial heading: “Engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity” · Explained in: Money laundering
- 18 U.S.C. § 1960Unlicensed money transmitting businessOfficial heading: “Prohibition of unlicensed money transmitting businesses” · Explained in: Money laundering
- 18 U.S.C. § 2250Failure to register as a sex offender (SORNA)Official heading: “Failure to register” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2251Production of child sexual abuse materialOfficial heading: “Sexual exploitation of children” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2252Sexual exploitation material involving minors (possession, receipt, distribution)Official heading: “Certain activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of minors” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2252AChild pornography (possession, receipt, distribution)Official heading: “Certain activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2422Coercion and enticement (including online enticement of a minor)Official heading: “Coercion and enticement” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2423Transporting a minor, or traveling, for illegal sexual activityOfficial heading: “Transportation of minors” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
- 18 U.S.C. § 2425Sending a minor's personal information to arrange sexual activityOfficial heading: “Use of interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor” · Explained in: Federal sex offenses
Title 21: Food and Drugs
- 21 U.S.C. § 841Drug trafficking (distribution, manufacture, possession with intent)Official heading: “Prohibited acts A” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 843(b)Using a phone or other communication facility in a drug felonyOfficial heading: “Prohibited acts C” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 846Drug conspiracy and attemptOfficial heading: “Attempt and conspiracy” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 856Maintaining a drug-involved premises ("stash house")Official heading: “Maintaining drug-involved premises” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 860Drug dealing near a school, playground or public housingOfficial heading: “Distribution or manufacturing in or near schools and colleges” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 952Unlawful importation of drugsOfficial heading: “Importation of controlled substances” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 959Making or distributing drugs abroad for import into the United StatesOfficial heading: “Possession, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substance” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 960Drug importation and exportation (penalties)Official heading: “Prohibited acts A” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
- 21 U.S.C. § 963Conspiracy or attempt to import or export drugsOfficial heading: “Attempt and conspiracy” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
Title 26: Internal Revenue Code
- 26 U.S.C. § 5861National Firearms Act violations (unregistered short-barreled guns, silencers, machine guns, destructive devices)Official heading: “Prohibited acts” · Explained in: Federal gun charges
Title 31: Money and Finance
- 31 U.S.C. § 5324Structuring cash transactionsOfficial heading: “Structuring transactions to evade reporting requirement prohibited” · Explained in: Money laundering
- 31 U.S.C. § 5332Bulk cash smugglingOfficial heading: “Bulk cash smuggling into or out of the United States” · Explained in: Money laundering
Title 42: The Public Health and Welfare
- 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)Anti-Kickback StatuteOfficial heading: “Criminal penalties for acts involving Federal health care programs” · Explained in: Health care fraud and kickbacks
Title 46: Shipping
- 46 U.S.C. § 70503Drug trafficking on vessels (Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act)Official heading: “Prohibited acts” · Explained in: Drug trafficking and drug conspiracy
About this index
Section headings come from the United States Code. The sentencing guideline for each statute is the one the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s Statutory Index (Appendix A of the Guidelines Manual in effect since November 1, 2025) assigns to it. The order in which we add statutes follows the Commission’s fiscal year 2025 data on how often each statute was a statute of conviction. This page is general information about federal law, not legal advice for any case.