Part 1 Basic Permit Requirements Under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, Nonindustrial Use of Distilled Spirits and Wine, Bulk Sales and Bottling of Distilled Spirits
Part 4 Labeling and Advertising of Wine
Part 5 Labeling and Advertising of Distilled Spirits
Part 6 “Tied-House”
Part 7 Labeling and Advertising of Malt Beverages
Part 8 Exclusive Outlets
Part 9 American Viticultural Areas
Part 10 Commercial Bribery
Part 11 Consignment Sales
Part 12 Foreign Nongeneric Names of Geographic Significance Used in the Designation of Wines
Part 13 Labeling Proceedings
Part 16 Alcoholic Beverage Health Warning Statement
Part 17 Drawback On Taxpaid Distilled Spirits Used in Manufacturing Nonbeverage Products
Part 18 Production of Volatile Fruit-Flavor Concentrate
Part 19 Distilled Spirits Plants
Part 20 Distribution and Use of Denatured Alcohol and Rum
Part 21 Formulas for Denatured Alcohol and Rum
Part 22 Distribution and Use of Tax-Free Alcohol
Part 24 Wine
Part 25 Beer
Part 26 Liquors and Articles From Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Part 27 Importation of Distilled Spirits, Wines, and Beer
Part 28 Exportation of Alcohol
Part 29 Stills and Miscellaneous Regulations
Part 30 Gauging Manual
Part 31 Alcohol Beverage Dealers

Terms Used In CFR > Title 27 > Chapter I > Subchapter A - Alcohol

  • active duty: when used in this subpart includes full-time National Guard duty first performed after November 29, 1989, by a member of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States in the servicemember's status as a member of the National Guard of a State for the purpose of organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing or training the National Guard. See 38 CFR 21.7020
  • advertising: includes any written or verbal statement, illustration, or depiction which is in, or calculated to induce sales in, interstate or foreign commerce, or is disseminated by mail, whether it appears in a newspaper, magazine, trade booklet, menu, wine card, leaflet, circular, mailer, book insert, catalog, promotional material, sales pamphlet, internet or other electronic site or social network, or in any written, printed, graphic, or other matter (such as hang tags) accompanying, but not firmly affixed to, the container, representations made on shipping cases, or in any billboard, sign, or other outdoor display, public transit card, other periodical literature, publication, or in a radio or television broadcast, or in any other media; except that such term shall not include:

    (a) Any label affixed to any container of malt beverages; or any coverings, cartons, or cases of containers of malt beverages used for sale at retail which constitute a part of the labeling under this part. See 27 CFR 7.232

  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
  • Annual percentage rate: The cost of credit at a yearly rate. It is calculated in a standard way, taking the average compound interest rate over the term of the loan so borrowers can compare loans. Lenders are required by law to disclose a card account's APR. Source: FDIC
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Asset forfeiture: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
  • Bequest: Property gifted by will.
  • brand: refers to differences in the brand name of a product or in the nature of a product. See 27 CFR 6.11
  • bulk container: means any container having a capacity larger than one wine gallon. See 27 CFR 26.11
  • bulk distilled spirits: means distilled spirits in a container having a capacity in excess of 1 gallon. See 27 CFR 26.11
  • bulk distilled spirits: means distilled spirits in a container having a capacity in excess of 1 gallon. See 27 CFR 27.11
  • Case law: The law as laid down in cases that have been decided in the decisions of the courts.
  • centralized offset: refer to the process by which the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service offsets Federal payments through the Treasury Offset Program. See 15 CFR 19.1
  • Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
  • Civil forfeiture: The loss of ownership of property used to conduct illegal activity.
  • Common disaster: A sudden and extraordinary misfortune that brings about the simultaneous or near-simultaneous deaths of two or more associated persons, such as husband and wife.
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Community Reinvestment Act: The Act is intended to encourage depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. It was enacted by the Congress in 1977. Source: OCC
  • Concurrent resolution: A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, generally employed to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses, such as a concurrent budget resolution, or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President/Governor and thus do not have the force of law.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • controlled subsidiary: means a corporation (or LLC or LLP) in which more than 50 percent of the voting power is controlled by a parent corporation. See 27 CFR 19.151
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • corporation: includes a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) in any jurisdiction where the law authorizes such a business organization to operate. See 27 CFR 19.151
  • Credit bureau: An agency that collects individual credit information and sells it for a fee to creditors so they can make a decision on granting loans. Typical clients include banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, and other financing companies. (Also commonly referred to as consumer-reporting agency or credit-reporting agency.) Source: OCC
  • Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. Source: OCC
  • Credit Score: A number, roughly between 300 and 800, that measures an individual's credit worthiness. The most well-known type of credit score is the FICO score. This score represents the answer from a mathematical formula that assigns numerical values to various pieces of information in your credit report. Source: OCC
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Donee: The recipient of a gift.
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) Source: OCC
  • Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. Source: OCC
  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Equal Credit Opportunity Act: Prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program. Source: OCC
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
  • Fair Credit Reporting Act: A federal law, established in 1971 and revised in 1997, that gives consumers the right to see their credit records and correct any mistakes. Source: OCC
  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a set of United States statutes added as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purpose is to ensure ethical practices in the collection of consumer debts and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. It is often used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Source: OCC
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Source: OCC
  • Fedwire: is a communications network that allows Federal Reserve System member financial institutions to effect a transfer of funds for their customers (or other financial institutions) to the Treasury account at the Federal Reserve Bank. See 27 CFR 24.10
  • Fedwire: is a communications network that allows Federal Reserve System member banks to effect a transfer of funds for their customers (or other commercial banks) to the Treasury Account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. See 27 CFR 25.11
  • Fedwire: is a communications network that allows Federal Reserve System member banks to effect a transfer of funds for their customers (or other commercial banks) to the Treasury Account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. See 27 CFR 26.11
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Finance charge: The total cost of credit a customer must pay on a consumer loan, including interest. The Truth in Lending Act requires disclosure of the finance charge. Source: OCC
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Fixed Rate: Having a "fixed" rate means that the APR doesn't change based on fluctuations of some external rate (such as the "Prime Rate"). In other words, a fixed rate is a rate that is not a variable rate. A fixed APR can change over time, in several circumstances:
    • You are late making a payment or commit some other default, triggering an increase to a penalty rate
    • The bank changes the terms of your account and you do not reject the change.
    • The rate expires (if the rate was fixed for only a certain period of time).
  • Forbearance: A means of handling a delinquent loan. A
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • Grace period: The number of days you'll have to pay your bill for purchases in full without triggering a finance charge. Source: Federal Reserve
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Hearsay: Statements by a witness who did not see or hear the incident in question but heard about it from someone else. Hearsay is usually not admissible as evidence in court.
  • high-proof concentrate: means a concentrate (essence), as defined in this section, that has an alcohol content of more than 24 percent by volume and is unfit for beverage use (nonpotable) because of its natural constituents, i. See 27 CFR 18.11
  • in bond: refers to wine or spirits possessed under bond to secure the payment of the taxes imposed by 26 U. See 27 CFR 24.10
  • Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • individual with a disability: means any person who—

    (1) Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities;

    (2) Has a record of such an impairment; or

    (3) Is regarded as having such an impairment. See 39 CFR 255.2

  • information technology: includes computers, ancillary equipment, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources. See 16 CFR 6.103
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • insured credit union: means a credit union whose accounts are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). See 12 CFR 741.0
  • Intangible property: Property that has no intrinsic value, but is merely the evidence of value such as stock certificates, bonds, and promissory notes.
  • Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
  • Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
  • Judgement: The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
  • label: includes :

    (1) Material affixed to the container, whether made of paper, plastic, metal, or other matter;

    (2) For purposes of the net content statement only, information blown, embossed, or molded into the container as part of the process of manufacturing the container;

    (3) Information etched, engraved, sandblasted, or otherwise carved into the surface of the container; and

    (4) Information branded, stenciled, painted, printed, or otherwise directly applied on to the surface of the container. See 27 CFR 5.61

  • label: includes :

    (1) Material affixed to the container, whether made of paper, plastic, metal, or other matter;

    (2) For purposes of the net contents statement and the name and address statement only, information blown, embossed, or molded into the container as part of the process of manufacturing the container;

    (3) Information etched, engraved, sandblasted, or otherwise carved into the surface of the container;

    (4) Information branded, stenciled, painted, printed, or otherwise directly applied on to the surface of the container; and

    (5) Information on a keg collar or a tap cover of a keg, only if it includes mandatory information that is not repeated elsewhere on a label firmly affixed to the container and only if it meets the requirements of § 7. See 27 CFR 7.61

  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
  • legal holiday: includes all holidays in the District of Columbia and statewide holidays in a particular State in which a claim, report, or return, as the case may be, is required to be filed, or the act is required to be performed. See 27 CFR 24.10
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
  • Lineal descendant: Direct descendant of the same ancestors.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Markup: The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. Source: OCC
  • open period: means a period of time beginning on December 1, 1988, and ending on June 30, 1989. See 38 CFR 21.7020
  • Outlays: Outlays are payments made (generally through the issuance of checks or disbursement of cash) to liquidate obligations. Outlays during a fiscal year may be for payment of obligations incurred in prior years or in the same year.
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian is an advisor on the interpretation of legislative rules and procedures.
  • party: means any party to the proceeding before the Board that resulted in the final Board decision which is the subject of a motion under this subpart. See 38 CFR 20.1401
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • physical or mental impairment: includes , but is not limited to, such diseases and conditions as orthopedic, visual speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction and alcoholism. See 15 CFR 8b.3
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • postal manager: means the manager or official responsible for a service, facility, program, or activity. See 39 CFR 255.2
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • practice: includes any such action whether it relates to the substance of, or to the procedural aspects of handling, a particular matter. See 43 CFR 1.2
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • proper cellar treatment: means a production practice or procedure authorized for natural wine by part 24 of this chapter, or, in the case of natural wine produced and imported subject to an international agreement or treaty, those practices and procedures acceptable to the United States under that agreement or treaty. See 27 CFR 27.11
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit.
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act: Federal law that, among other things, requires lenders to provide "good faith" estimates of settlement costs and make other disclosures regarding the mortgage loan. RESPA also limits the amount of funds held in escrow for real estate taxes and insurance. Source: OCC
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
  • records: as used in this subpart does not include qualifying documents required under subpart D of this part, or bonds required under subpart F of this part. See 27 CFR 19.577
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
  • refresher course: means —

    (i) Either a course at the elementary or secondary level to review or update material previously covered in a course that has been satisfactorily completed, or

    (ii) A course which permits an individual to update knowledge and skills or be instructed in the technological advances which have occurred in the individual's field of employment during and since the period of the individual's active military service. See 38 CFR 21.7020

  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
  • Right of offset: Banks' legal right to seize funds that a guarantor or debtor may have on deposit to cover a loan in default. It is also known as the right of set-off. Source: OCC
  • Right of rescission: Right to cancel, within three business days, a contract that uses the home of a person as collateral, except in the case of a first mortgage loan. There is no fee to the borrower, who receives a full refund of all fees paid. The right of rescission is guaranteed by the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Source: OCC
  • Right of survivorship: The ownership rights that result in the acquisition of title to property by reason of having survived other co-owners.
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • State: includes the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. See 27 CFR 4.10
  • State: includes a Territory and the District of Columbia; and the term "Territory" means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See 27 CFR 13.11
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • Subliminal or similar techniques: as used in this subpart , refers to any device or technique that is used to convey, or attempts to convey, a message to a person by means of images or sounds of a very brief nature that cannot be perceived at a normal level of awareness. See 27 CFR 5.235
  • Subliminal or similar techniques: as used in this part , refers to any device or technique that is used to convey, or attempts to convey, a message to a person by means of images or sounds of a very brief nature that cannot be perceived at a normal level of awareness. See 27 CFR 7.235
  • Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
  • Territory: means the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See 27 CFR 13.11
  • time lost: includes excess leave, noncreditable time and not-on-duty time. See 38 CFR 21.7020
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. Source: OCC
  • Truth in Lending Act: The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that requires lenders to provide standardized information so that borrowers can compare loan terms. In general, lenders must provide information on Source: OCC
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
  • United States: includes only the States and the District of Columbia. See 27 CFR 27.11
  • unusual circumstances: means our need to:

    (1) Search for and get the requested records from field offices or other locations;

    (2) Search for, get, and review many records identified in a single request;

    (3) Consult with another Federal agency having a substantial interest in the request; or

    (4) Consult with two or more FCA offices having a substantial interest in the request. See 12 CFR 602.5

  • Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
  • User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
  • Variable Rate: Having a "variable" rate means that the APR changes from time to time based on fluctuations in an external rate, normally the Prime Rate. This external rate is known as the "index." If the index changes, the variable rate normally changes. Also see Fixed Rate.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
  • Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
  • writing: means any intentional recording of words in a visual form, whether in the form of handwriting, printing, typewriting, or any other tangible form. See 40 CFR 3.3