Abstract: The object of this research is the social relations with regards to criminal legal regulation of composition of crime stipulating liability for acquisition, storage, transportation, processing for the purpose of sale and sale of timber that is known to have illicit origin according to the Article 191.1 of the Criminal Code. The subject of this research covers the norms of the current Russian legislation establishing legal and administrative liability for illegal trade of timber, as well as norms of Russian legislation pertaining to other regulatory branches of law, and decrees of the President of the Russian Federation. The goal of this work lies in studying the details of the content of the Article 191.1 of the Criminal Code, and conducting comparative analysis of the norm of criminal law stipulating liability for acquisition, storage, transportation, processing for the purpose of sale and sale of timber that is known to have illicit origin, as well as the norms of administrative law that regulate similar situations. The research allowed determining the distinctive elements of the compositions, which in turn allows the law enforcer to properly qualify the acts and justly establish responsibility. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that the Article 191.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is fairly new within the legislation, which is one of the key reasons for lack of scientific research and low effectiveness of practical implementation of this norm.