( CNN ) -- You 've probably seen the ad campaign encouraging you to take 10 minutes to answer 10 questions and fill out your census form . The Census Bureau wants everyone to put their completed forms in the mail by April 1 , National Census Day . This year 's questionnaire is one of the shortest in history , but the results of the survey have long-term effects . Have n't sent yours in yet ? Lost your form ? Here 's what you need to know : . What happens if I do n't turn in my form ? If you do not return it , a replacement form will be sent . Some hard-to-count areas will automatically receive a second questionnaire . In addition , you may get a knock at your door from a census-taker between May 1-July 10 . There are also legal ramifications : Under the law , it is a crime to not answer the census and courts can impose a fine of up to $ 5,000 for not responding . But the bureau says it will use that as the last resort . I never got a form . What should I do ? Your form should have arrived by mid-March . If not , call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center at 1-866-872-6868 , from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week through the end of July . Those who are hearing impaired are able to utilize TDD 1-866-783-2010 . For information on assistance in languages other than English , click here . Census Day is not a deadline , so you 'll still be able to send in your information after that date . What do I do if I lost my form ? You can either wait for a replacement form , call the information line or visit a Be Counted location to fill out the form . After April 12 , you 'll be able to call and request a phone interview in place of filling out the form , a Census Bureau spokeswoman said . I sent in my information . What happens next ? The Census Bureau will sift through your information and record the answers into its database . By law , it has until December 2010 to give population statistics to President Obama and until March 2011 to deliver information to the states . Have a complaint ? Call the Census Bureau 's general information number at 1-800-923-8282 . Worried about who sees your information ? The Census Bureau is barred from sharing your answers with anyone , including the IRS , FBI , CIA or any other government agency . In addition , all employees take a nondisclosure oath and are `` sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data , '' according to the bureau 's Web site . Anyone caught disclosing information faces a fine of up to $ 250,000 , up to a five-year prison sentence , or both . Why is it important to fill out the census form ? The census , taken every 10 years , is used to determine how to allocate more than $ 400 billion in federal funds and how to allocate seats in the House of Representatives . `` There is no representative democracy without it . It 's the scientific , nonpartisan , apolitical starting point of what eventually becomes a quite partisan , political process , '' said Kenneth Prewitt , a professor at Columbia 's School of International and Public Affairs and the former director of the Census Bureau . Source : The Census Bureau .
The census is taken every 10 years and used to determine how to allocate federal funds . Census also helps determine allocation of seats in the House of Representatives . The law requires people to fill out and return the form or face penalties .