---
kind: "section"
citation: "2 U.S.C. § 179q"
title: "2"
title_heading: "The Congress"
number: "179q"
heading: "Seal of National Film Registry"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/2/179q"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Library of Congress"
---

# §179q. Seal of National Film Registry

- (a) **Use of seal—**
  - (1) **Prohibition on distribution and exhibition—** No person shall knowingly distribute or exhibit to the public a version of a [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) or any copy in any format of a [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) which bears the seal described in [section 179m(a)(3) of this title](/usc/2/179m.md?p=a-3) if such [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3)—
    - (A) is not included in the National [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Registry; or
    - (B) is included in the National [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Registry, but such [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) or [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) copy has not been approved for use of the seal by the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) pursuant to [section 179m(a)(1)(D) of this title](/usc/2/179m.md?p=a-1-D).
  - (2) **Prohibition on promotion—** No person shall knowingly use the seal described in [section 179m(a)(3) of this title](/usc/2/179m.md?p=a-3) to promote any version of a [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) in any format other than a [Registry version](/usc/2/179u.md?p=5).
- (b) **Effective date of seal—** The use of the seal described in [section 179m(a)(3) of this title](/usc/2/179m.md?p=a-3) shall be effective for each [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) after the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) publishes in the Federal Register, in accordance with [section 179m(a)(2) of this title](/usc/2/179m.md?p=a-2), the name of that [film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) as selected for inclusion in the National [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Registry.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 104–285, title I, § 107, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3381; Pub. L. 109–9, title III, § 302(d), Apr. 27, 2005, 119 Stat. 225.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2005—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(d)(1), inserted “in any format” after “or any copy” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(d)(2), substituted “in any format” for “or film copy”.