Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§275 Restriction on direct participation by military personnel

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS › Chapter CHAPTER 15— - MILITARY SUPPORT FOR CIVILIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES › § 275

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Secretary of Defense must make rules so activities under this chapter, including support, can't let Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps members directly do searches, seizures, or arrests unless another law allows.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §275

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure that any activity (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment or detail of any personnel) under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in a search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 275, acts Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 13; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(5)(B), 72 Stat. 1439, related to maintenance of personnel records of members of reserve components, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §§ 1661(a)(2)(A), 1691, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2979, 3026, effective Dec. 1, 1994. See section 10204 of this title.

Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 renumbered section 375 of this title as this section. 1989—Pub. L. 101–189 substituted “any activity” for “the provision of any support”, struck out “to any civilian law

Enforcement

official” after “any personnel)”, and substituted “a search, seizure, arrest,” for “a search and seizure, an arrest,”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–456 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall issue such

Regulations

as may be necessary to insure that the provision of any assistance (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment of any personnel) to any civilian law

Enforcement

official under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in an interdiction of a vessel or aircraft, a search and seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 275

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73