Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§3052 Powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation

Title 18 › Part PART II— - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 203— - ARREST AND COMMITMENT › § 3052

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

FBI leaders and agents may carry guns, serve U.S. warrants and subpoenas, and arrest without a warrant for crimes they see or for felonies they have good reason to believe someone committed.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §3052

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Director, Associate Director, Assistant to the Director, Assistant Directors, inspectors, and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice may carry firearms, serve warrants and subpoenas issued under the authority of the United States and make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence, or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 300a of title 5, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Executive Departments and Government Officers and Employees (June 18, 1934, ch. 595, 48 Stat. 1008; Mar. 22, 1935, ch. 39, title II, 49 Stat. 77). Language relating to seizures under warrant is in section 3107 of this title. Minor changes were made in phraseology particularly with respect to omission of provision covered by rule 5(a) of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1951—Act Jan. 10, 1951, allowed F. B. I. personnel to make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions of all other officers of Department of Justice and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, with a few exceptions, transferred to Attorney General, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3173, 64 Stat. 1261, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 3052

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73