| National Banking Charter |
12 U.S.C. §§ 21–216d (National Bank Act) |
OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) |
YES (operates as quasi-public financial institution) |
YES (issues currency instruments, exercises fiduciary powers under federal authority) |
YES (reserve requirements, reporting, CRA obligations bind all national banks) |
YES |
YES (federal reserve notes, federal monetary system) |
| Federal Reserve System Membership |
12 U.S.C. §§ 221–522 (Federal Reserve Act) |
Federal Reserve Board of Governors |
YES (member banks function as instrumentalities of monetary policy) |
YES (discount window, monetary transmission, reserve management) |
YES (mandatory reserves, stress testing, systemic risk obligations) |
YES |
YES (federal reserve notes, reserve balances, discount window collateral) |
| Federal Deposit Insurance |
12 U.S.C. §§ 1811–1835a (Federal Deposit Insurance Act) |
FDIC |
YES (insured deposits create public trust obligation) |
YES (exercises receivership and resolution authority) |
YES (assessment obligations, deposit reporting for all insured institutions) |
YES |
YES (Deposit Insurance Fund is federal property) |
| Federal Credit Union Charter |
12 U.S.C. §§ 1751–1795k (Federal Credit Union Act) |
NCUA |
YES (cooperative financial institution with public mission) |
YES (exercises fiduciary and lending authority under federal charter) |
YES (share insurance, reporting, field-of-membership requirements) |
YES |
YES (National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund) |
| Broadcast Spectrum License |
47 U.S.C. §§ 301–399b (Communications Act of 1934) |
FCC |
YES (licensee operates as public trustee of the airwaves) |
YES (exclusive use of sovereign electromagnetic spectrum) |
YES (public interest standard, equal time, emergency broadcast obligations) |
YES |
YES (electromagnetic spectrum is propertyPUB held in public trust) |
| Air Carrier Certificate |
49 U.S.C. §§ 41101–41113 (Federal Aviation Act) |
FAA / DOT |
YES (common carrier obligations, public service mandate) |
YES (operates within sovereign navigable airspace) |
YES (safety regulations, accessibility requirements, fare transparency) |
YES |
YES (navigable airspace is federal propertyPUB) |
| Nuclear Facility License |
42 U.S.C. §§ 2011–2297h-13 (Atomic Energy Act of 1954) |
NRC |
YES (exercises authority over sovereign nuclear materials) |
YES (licensed to possess and use special nuclear material) |
YES (safety, waste disposal, security, decommissioning obligations) |
YES |
YES (special nuclear material remains federal property) |
| Hydroelectric Power License |
16 U.S.C. §§ 791a–828c (Federal Power Act) |
FERC |
YES (public utility operating on navigable waters) |
YES (exercises power of eminent domain, dam construction on public waterways) |
YES (headwater benefits charges, fish passage, environmental mitigation) |
YES |
YES (navigable waters are propertyPUB) |
| U.S. Postal Service Franchise |
39 U.S.C. §§ 101–5605 (Postal Reorganization Act) |
USPS / Postal Regulatory Commission |
YES (exercises sovereign postal power under Art. I, § 8, cl. 7) |
YES (exclusive letter-carrying monopoly, mailbox access rule) |
YES (universal service obligation, uniform pricing) |
YES |
YES (postal infrastructure, mailboxes, mail itself in transit) |
| Securities Exchange Registration |
15 U.S.C. §§ 78a–78qq (Securities Exchange Act of 1934) |
SEC |
YES (self-regulatory organization with quasi-governmental enforcement power) |
YES (exchanges exercise delegated regulatory, surveillance, and disciplinary authority) |
YES (reporting, anti-fraud, market manipulation rules bind all participants) |
YES |
NO |
| Vessel Documentation (Merchant Marine) |
46 U.S.C. §§ 12101–12152 |
USCG / MARAD |
YES (documented vessels operate under federal flag and jurisdiction) |
YES (authorized for coastwise trade, fisheries, and international commerce under federal sovereignty) |
YES (manning, safety, inspection, cabotage restrictions) |
YES |
YES (navigable waters, federal flag jurisdiction) |
| Railroad Operating Authority |
49 U.S.C. §§ 10101–11908 (Interstate Commerce Act legacy) |
Surface Transportation Board (STB) |
YES (common carrier obligation, public service mandate) |
YES (exercises eminent domain for rights-of-way, rate-setting authority) |
YES (common carrier duty, safety, hazmat, accessibility) |
YES |
YES (rights-of-way across public lands, eminent domain) |
| Natural Gas Pipeline Certificate |
15 U.S.C. §§ 717–717z (Natural Gas Act) |
FERC |
YES (public utility with obligation to serve) |
YES (eminent domain for pipeline construction, rate-setting) |
YES (open access, environmental review, safety standards) |
YES |
YES (eminent domain, public lands crossings) |
| Federal Mining Claim |
30 U.S.C. §§ 22–54 (General Mining Act of 1872) |
BLM / Dept. of Interior |
YES (claimant exercises possessory rights on public domain) |
PARTIAL (right to extract mineral resources from sovereign land, but limited police power) |
NO (obligations attach only to claim holders) |
YES |
YES (public domain lands and mineral estate are propertyPUB) |
| Federal Grazing Permit |
43 U.S.C. §§ 315–315r (Taylor Grazing Act) |
BLM / Dept. of Interior |
PARTIAL (permittee manages public rangeland under federal oversight) |
PARTIAL (authorized use of public domain, but no sovereign delegation) |
NO (obligations attach only to permit holders) |
YES |
YES (federal public rangeland is propertyPUB) |
| Federal Land Patent |
43 U.S.C. various (public land statutes) |
BLM / General Land Office (historical) |
YES (conveyance of sovereign title from public domain to private ownership) |
NO (patent transfers title, does not delegate ongoing authority) |
NO |
YES |
YES (public domain land is propertyPUB until patented) |
| Federal Alcohol/Tobacco Manufacturer Permit |
26 U.S.C. §§ 5001–5692 (IRC Subtitle E) |
TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Treasury) |
YES (operates under federal excise tax and regulatory regime) |
YES (authorized to manufacture controlled commodities under sovereign taxing power) |
YES (excise tax, bonding, labeling, record-keeping obligations on all permit holders) |
YES |
NO |
| Federally Chartered Corporation |
36 U.S.C. various; individual charter statutes (e.g., Amtrak: 49 U.S.C. § 24301; Red Cross: 36 U.S.C. § 300101) |
Congress / designated oversight agency |
YES (created by sovereign act to serve public purpose) |
YES (exercises specific governmental or quasi-governmental functions) |
YES (charter obligations, reporting to Congress, public accountability) |
YES |
PARTIAL (varies by charter; Amtrak uses federal rail infrastructure) |
| Social Security Account (SSN/OASDI) |
42 U.S.C. §§ 401–434 (Social Security Act, Title II) |
SSA (Social Security Administration) |
YES (participation creates public accounting identity within federal fiscal system) |
YES (mandatory wage reporting, tax withholding delegated to employers) |
YES (universal employer withholding, individual earnings reporting) |
YES |
YES (OASI and DI Trust Funds are federal propertyPUB) |
| Federal Tax-Exempt Organization Status |
26 U.S.C. § 501 (IRC § 501(c)) |
IRS / Dept. of Treasury |
YES (tax-exempt entities perform quasi-public functions: charitable, educational, religious) |
PARTIAL (exempt from sovereign taxing power in exchange for public benefit obligations) |
YES (annual reporting, operational restrictions, private inurement prohibitions) |
YES |
NO |
| Federal Telecommunications Common Carrier |
47 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. (Communications Act, Title II) |
FCC |
YES (common carrier obligation: must serve all comers without discrimination) |
YES (exercises delegated authority over public communications infrastructure) |
YES (tariff filing, non-discrimination, universal service contributions) |
YES |
YES (electromagnetic spectrum and rights-of-way are propertyPUB) |
| Federal Power Marketing Administration |
16 U.S.C. various (Bonneville Project Act, etc.) |
BPA, WAPA, SWPA, SEPA (Dept. of Energy) |
YES (markets hydroelectric power from federal dams) |
YES (operates sovereign power generation and transmission infrastructure) |
YES (preference power obligations, cost-based pricing mandates) |
YES |
YES (federal dams, transmission lines, reservoirs are propertyPUB) |
| "Trade or Business" Franchise (Public Office Functions) |
26 U.S.C. § 7701(a)(26); 26 U.S.C. §§ 1–1400Z-2 (IRC) |
IRS / Dept. of Treasury |
YES (defined as "the functions of a public office") |
YES (holder exercises governmental functions generating taxable income) |
YES (withholding, reporting, filing obligations bind all participants in the franchise) |
YES |
NO |