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Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§825p Jurisdiction of offenses; enforcement of liabilities and duties

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - FEDERAL REGULATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF POWER › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - LICENSEES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES; PROCEDURAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › § 825p

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Only federal district and territorial courts can hear crimes and enforcement suits. Criminal cases must be in the district where it happened. Civil suits may be filed where it happened or where the defendant lives, and papers can be served wherever the defendant is. Judgments can be reviewed under 28 U.S.C. 1254, 1291, and 1292. The Commission cannot be charged court costs in cases involving it.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §825p

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The District Courts of the United States, and the United States courts of any Territory or other place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States shall have exclusive jurisdiction of violations of this chapter or the rules, regulations, and orders thereunder, and of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by, or to enjoin any violation of this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder. Any criminal proceeding shall be brought in the district wherein any act or transaction constituting the violation occurred. Any suit or action to enforce any liability or duty created by, or to enjoin any violation of, this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder may be brought in any such district or in the district wherein the defendant is an inhabitant, and process in such cases may be served wherever the defendant may be found. Judgments and decrees so rendered shall be subject to review as provided in section 1254, 1291, and 1292 of title 28. No costs shall be assessed against the Commission in any judicial proceeding by or against the Commission under this chapter.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification As originally enacted, this section contained reference to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Act
June 25, 1936, substituted “the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia” for “the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia”, and act
June 25, 1948, as amended by act
May 24, 1949, substituted “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” for “district court of the United States for the District of Columbia”. However, the words “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” have been deleted entirely as superfluous in view of section 132(a) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which states that “There shall be in each judicial district a district court which shall be a court of record known as the United States District Court for the district”, and section 88 of Title 28 which states that “the District of Columbia constitutes one judicial district”. “section 1254, 1291, and 1292 of title 28”, referred to in text, were substituted for “section 128 and 240 of the Judicial Code, as amended (U.S.C. title 28, secs. 225 and 347)” on authority of act
June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 869, the first section of which enacted Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 825p

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73