# How do I get info regarding mail tampering laws? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438 "2004-07-29T14:30:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438/1 "2004-07-29T14:30:44Z")
I have a neighbor who may be messing with my mailbox. I would like to understand the laws governing such things in case this escalates. I’ve tried the US Postal Service site and the Dept Of Justice but can’t find anything which clearly states the law. Does anyone know where I can quickly access this information? ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438/2 "2004-07-29T14:57:55Z")
Call your local postal inspector if you think that anyone is destroying or stealing your mail. [Title 18, United States Code Section 1705. Destruction of letter boxes or mail](http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/usc18/mailbox.htm) > [@](#): > > Whoever willfully or maliciously injures, tears down or destroys any letter box or other receptacle intended or used for the receipt or delivery of mail on any mail route, or breaks open the same, or willfully or maliciously injures, defaces or destroys any mail deposited therein, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years. [Section 1708. Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally](http://www.usps.com/websites/depart/inspect/usc18/theft.htm) > [@](#): > > Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein; or > > Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein which has been left for collection upon or adjacent to a collection box or other authorized depository of mail matter; or > > Whoever buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully has in possession, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted – shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438/3 "2004-07-29T15:26:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains, or attempts so to obtain, from or out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or any mail route or other authorized depository for mail matter, or from a letter or mail carrier, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or abstracts or removes from any such letter, package, bag, or mail, any article or thing contained therein, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein; or > > Whoever steals, takes, or abstracts, or by fraud or deception obtains any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein which has been left for collection upon or adjacent to a collection box or other authorized depository of mail matter; or > > Whoever buys, receives, or conceals, or unlawfully has in possession, any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein, which has been so stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted, as herein described, knowing the same to have been stolen, taken, embezzled, or abstracted – shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. If the guy is nicking your mail you should leave a suitably attractive looking envelope in your mailbox with a letter containing just that information. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438/4 "2004-07-29T19:14:23Z")
I can’t find a statute, but it’s also a violation to put anything besides mail into a personal mailbox. Once at the age of about 8, while the family was vacationing in a rented beach house, a neighbor woman yelled at us kids for firing blank guns. In retaliation, I put a banana peel in her mail box. Sure enough, a couple of days later there were a couple of policemen asking around the neighborhood regarding this incident of mail _tampering_! :eek: Pretty scary for an eight year old, let me tell you. My secret was safe, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-info-regarding-mail-tampering-laws/257438/5 "2004-07-29T20:31:58Z")
Go to your local post office, and mention your concerns. They may know if this has happened before, and how it was dealt with in your municipality.