---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 2322"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "2322"
heading: "Chop shops"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/2322"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 113 — Stolen Property"
---

# §2322. Chop shops

- (a) **In General.—**
  - (1) **Unlawful action.—** Any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who knowingly owns, operates, maintains, or controls a chop shop or conducts operations in a chop shop shall be punished by a fine under this title or by imprisonment for not more than 15 years, or both. If a conviction of a [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) under this paragraph is for a violation committed after the first conviction of such [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) under this paragraph, the maximum punishment shall be doubled with respect to any fine and imprisonment.
  - (2) **Injunctions.—** The [Attorney General](/usc/18/841.md?p=k) shall, as appropriate, in the case of any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who violates [paragraph (1)](#a-1), commence a civil action for permanent or temporary injunction to restrain such violation.
- (b) **Definition.—** For purposes of this section, the term “chop shop” means any building, lot, facility, or other structure or premise where one or more [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) engage in receiving, concealing, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing any passenger [motor vehicle](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-6) or passenger [motor vehicle](/usc/18/31.md?p=a-6) part which has been unlawfully obtained in order to alter, counterfeit, deface, destroy, disguise, falsify, forge, obliterate, or remove the identity, including the vehicle identification number or derivative thereof, of such vehicle or vehicle part and to [distribute](/usc/18/841.md?p=n), sell, or dispose of such vehicle or vehicle part in [interstate or foreign commerce](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-2).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 102–519, title I, § 105(a), Oct. 25, 1992, 106 Stat. 3385.)