Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§3231 District courts
Title 18 › Part PART II— - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 211— - JURISDICTION AND VENUE › § 3231
Summary
Federal district courts alone decide crimes that break federal law; nothing here reduces state courts' power over state-law cases.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §3231
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States. Nothing in this title shall be held to take away or impair the jurisdiction of the courts of the several States under the laws thereof.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 588d of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Banks and Banking; title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 546, 547 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 326, 340, 35 Stat. 1151, 1153; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 291, 36 Stat. 1167; May 18, 1934, ch. 304, § 4, 48 Stat. 783). This section was formed by combining section 546 and 547 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with section 588d of title 12, U.S.C., Banks and Banking, with no change of substance. The language of said section 588d of title 12, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which related to bank robbery, or killing or kidnapping as an incident thereto (see section 2113, of this title), and which read “Jurisdiction over any offense defined by section 588b and 588c of this title shall not be reserved exclusively to courts of the United States” was omitted as adequately covered by this section. Senate Revision AmendmentThe text of this section was changed by Senate amendment. See
Senate Report No. 1620
, amendment No. 10, 80th Cong.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 3231
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73