# Census Form

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442 "2008-02-28T00:10:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442/1 "2008-02-28T00:10:19Z")

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Today I received and completed the American Community Survey from the Census Bureau. In the literature that came with it, it is mentioned that the form MUST be completed, because it’s the law. But it mentions no specific penalty…

So what happens if I don’t? (Don’t worry, I did) An esoteric fine of a half-penny? Jail? Caning?

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442/2 "2008-02-28T00:23:52Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> **§ 221. Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers**  
> (a) Whoever, being over eighteen years of age, refuses or willfully neglects, when requested by the Secretary, or by any other authorized officer or employee of the Department of Commerce or bureau or agency thereof acting under the instructions of the Secretary or authorized officer, to answer, to the best of his knowledge, any of the questions on any schedule submitted to him in connection with any census or survey provided for by subchapters I, II, IV, and V of chapter 5 of this title, applying to himself or to the family to which he belongs or is related, or to the farm or farms of which he or his family is the occupant, shall be fined not more than $100.  
> (b) Whoever, when answering questions described in subsection (a) of this section, and under the conditions or circumstances described in such subsection, willfully gives any answer that is false, shall be fined not more than $500.  
> (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, no person shall be compelled to disclose information relative to his religious beliefs or to membership in a religious body.

Source: [13 USC Chapter 7, Subchapter II, Sec 221](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/13/usc_sec_13_00000221----000-.html)

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442/3 "2008-02-28T00:35:12Z")

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So has anyone ever been prosecuted for this?

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**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/census-form/439442/4 "2008-02-28T01:50:32Z")

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I can only offer my own experience. Last year, I received the American Community Survey. I refused to fill it out due to privacy concerns, but instead of making a formal protest I just didn’t send it in. I received a few answering machine messages from the government goading me, but nothing more. Indeed I’m pretty sure previous threads on this failed to reveal any actual case of prosecution.