(a) Offenses.—

(1) Sale.—Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly sells a traffic signal preemption transmitter to a nonqualifying user shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

(2) Use.—Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, being a nonqualifying user makes unauthorized use of a traffic signal preemption transmitter shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both.


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Terms Used In 18 USC 39

  • agency: includes any department, independent establishment, commission, administration, authority, board or bureau of the United States or any corporation in which the United States has a proprietary interest, unless the context shows that such term was intended to be used in a more limited sense. See 18 USC 6
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • foreign commerce: as used in this title , includes commerce with a foreign country. See 18 USC 10
  • State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7

(b) Definitions.—In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Traffic signal preemption transmitter.—The term “traffic signal preemption transmitter” means any mechanism that can change or alter a traffic signal’s phase time or sequence.

(2) Nonqualifying user.—The term “nonqualifying user” means a person who uses a traffic signal preemption transmitter and is not acting on behalf of a public agency or private corporation authorized by law to provide fire protection, law enforcement, emergency medical services, transit services, maintenance, or other services for a Federal, State, or local government entity, but does not include a person using a traffic signal preemption transmitter for classroom or instructional purposes.