---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 114"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "114"
heading: "Removal, disturbance, destruction, or molestation of ruins"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/114"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter XII — Mesa Verde National Park"
---

# §114. Removal, disturbance, destruction, or molestation of ruins


Any [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) or [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) who may otherwise in any manner willfully remove, disturb, destroy, or molest any of the ruins, mounds, buildings, graves, relics, or other evidences of an ancient civilization or other property from said [park](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-3) shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction before any court having jurisdiction of such offenses shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than twelve months, or such [person](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) or [persons](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=b) may be fined and imprisoned, at the discretion of the judge, and shall be required to restore the property disturbed, if possible.


## Source credit

(June 29, 1906, ch. 3607, § 4, 34 Stat. 617.)