Skip to content

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 51 — Homicide

§ 1112. Manslaughter

Statutory text

(a)

Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice. It is of two kinds:

Voluntary—Upon a sudden quarrel or heat of passion.

Involuntary—In the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, or in the commission in an unlawful manner, or without due caution and circumspection, of a lawful act which might produce death.

(b)

Within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,

Whoever is guilty of voluntary manslaughter, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both;

Whoever is guilty of involuntary manslaughter, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 8 years, or both.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 756

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 756

  2. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 § 330016(1)(H) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (H) in sections 81, 210, 211, 215, 217, 242, 245, 291, 292, 439, 442, 480, 483, 484, 490, 491, 494, 495, 503, 507, 510, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 604, 605, 641, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 661, 662, 665, 712, 751, 752, 756, 795, 796, 797, 836, 844, 871, 875, 876, 877, 879, 911, 912, 913, 924, 957, 959, 961, 1003, 1012, 1021, 1025, 1026, 1071, 1112, 1163, 1262, 1263, 1264, 1301, 1302, 1304, 1306, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1361, 1363, 1384, 1504, 1508, 1509, 1657, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1711, 1715, 1716, 1733, 1738, 1761, 1762, 2276, 2277, 2278, 2382, and 2389 by striking “not more than $1,000” each place it appears and inserting “under this title”;

  3. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 § 320102(3) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(3), substituted “six years” for “three years” in last par

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(3), substituted “six years” for “three years” in last par.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (3) by striking “three” and inserting “six”.

  4. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 § 320102(2) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Repealed · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2), which provided for amendment identical to Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), above, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(13)

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2), which provided for amendment identical to Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), above, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(13).

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (2) by striking “not more than $1,000” and inserting “under this title” and

  5. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 § 320102(1)(B) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(B), which directed the amendment of subsec. (b) by inserting “, or both” after “years”, was executed by inserting the material after “years” in second par., which was the first place the word appeared in text, to reflect the probable intent of Congress

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(B), which directed the amendment of subsec. (b) by inserting “, or both” after “years”, was executed by inserting the material after “years” in second par., which was the first place the word appeared in text, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (B) by inserting “, or both” after “years”;

  6. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 § 320102(1)(A) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(A), inserted “fined under this title or” after “shall be” in second par

    Target inherited from the preceding amendment note.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(A), inserted “fined under this title or” after “shall be” in second par.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (A) by inserting “fined under this title or” after “shall be” in the first undesignated paragraph; and

  7. Economic Espionage Act of 1996

    Pub. L. 104–294 title VI § 604(b)(13) · 110 Stat. 3488

    Repealed · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

    Pub. L. 104–294 repealed Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2). See 1994 Amendment note below

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–294 repealed Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2). See 1994 Amendment note below.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (13) Section 320102 of Public Law 103–322 is amended 18 USC 1112. by striking paragraph (2).

    Effective date note
    Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.

  8. Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

    Pub. L. 110–177 title II § 207 · 121 Stat. 2534

    1. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

      Pub. L. 110–177 substituted “15 years” for “ten years” in last par

    2. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 1112(b)

      Pub. L. 110–177 substituted “8 years” for “six years” in last par

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–177 substituted “15 years” for “ten years” in second par. and “8 years” for “six years” in last par.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    SEC. 207. GENERAL MODIFICATIONS OF FEDERAL MURDER CRIME AND RELATED CRIMES.   Section 1112(b) of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “ten years” and inserting “15 years”; and (2) by striking “six years” and inserting “8 years”.

8 of 9 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 453, 454 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 274, 275, 35 Stat. 1143).

Section consolidates punishment provisions of sections 453 and 454 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed.

The special maritime and territorial jurisdiction provision was added in view of definitive section 7 this title.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1994–2008 · 3 rounds

2008

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–177 substituted “15 years” for “ten years” in second par. and “8 years” for “six years” in last par.

1996

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–294 repealed Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2). See 1994 Amendment note below.

1994

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in last par.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(3), substituted “six years” for “three years” in last par.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(2), which provided for amendment identical to Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(H), above, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(13).

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(B), which directed the amendment of subsec. (b) by inserting “, or both” after “years”, was executed by inserting the material after “years” in second par., which was the first place the word appeared in text, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320102(1)(A), inserted “fined under this title or” after “shall be” in second par.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective , see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.

Credits

1948–2008 · 4 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 756
  2. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320102, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), , 108 Stat. 2109, 2147
  3. 1996Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(13), , 110 Stat. 3507
  4. 2008Pub. L. 110–177, title II, § 207, , 121 Stat. 2538.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 756; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXII, § 320102, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), , 108 Stat. 2109, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(13), , 110 Stat. 3507; Pub. L. 110–177, title II, § 207, , 121 Stat. 2538.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc18.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t18/s1112