# Census 2000 - Under penalty of law

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-2000-under-penalty-of-law/8597>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-2000-under-penalty-of-law/8597 "2000-03-15T14:40:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cheese\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cheese\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheese_Head)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-2000-under-penalty-of-law/8597/1 "2000-03-15T14:40:00Z")

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My census envelope says “Under penalty of law”. Does that mean we are required by law  
to fill it out? What is the penalty? Deportation to Quebec?

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**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-2000-under-penalty-of-law/8597/2 "2000-03-15T22:41:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> What is the penalty? Deportation to Quebec?

No. The Bill of Rights prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.