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Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§3286 Extension of statute of limitation for certain terrorism offenses

Title 18 › Part PART II— - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 213— - LIMITATIONS › § 3286

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

No one may be charged, tried, or punished for a non‑death‑penalty crime covered by certain terrorism and related laws unless formal charges (an indictment or an information) are started within 8 years after the crime. This covers offenses listed in section 2332b(g)(5)(B) and certain crimes under 18 U.S.C. (112, 351(e), 1361, 1751(e)) and 49 U.S.C. (46504, 46505, 46506). Offenses listed in section 3295 follow the time limit set in that section instead. Regardless of other laws, if an offense in section 2332b(g)(5)(B) caused, or created a foreseeable risk of, death or serious bodily injury to someone, charges may be brought at any time with no time limit.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §3286

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding section 3282, no person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any noncapital offense involving a violation of any provision listed in section 2332b(g)(5)(B), or a violation of section 112, 351(e), 1361, or 1751(e) of this title, or section 46504, 46505, or 46506 of title 49, unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted within 8 years after the offense was committed. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, offenses listed in section 3295 are subject to the statute of limitations set forth in that section.
(b)Notwithstanding any other law, an indictment may be found or an information instituted at any time without limitation for any offense listed in section 2332b(g)(5)(B), if the commission of such offense resulted in, or created a forseeable 11 So in original. Probably should be “foreseeable”. risk of, death or serious bodily injury to another person.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 3286, act June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 828, related to seduction on vessel of United States, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–647, title XII, § 1207(b), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4832.

Amendments

2002—Pub. L. 107–273 repealed Pub. L. 104–294, § 601(b)(1). See 1996 Amendment note below. 2001—Pub. L. 107–56 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Text read as follows: “Notwithstanding section 3282, no person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any non-capital offense involving a violation of section 32 (aircraft destruction), section 37 (airport violence), section 112 (assaults upon diplomats), section 351 (crimes against Congressmen or Cabinet officers), section 1116 (crimes against diplomats), section 1203 (hostage taking), section 1361 (willful injury to government property), section 1751 (crimes against the President), section 2280 (maritime violence), section 2281 (maritime platform violence), section 2332 (terrorist acts abroad against United States nationals), section 2332a (use of weapons of mass destruction), 2332b (acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries), or section 2340A (torture) of this title or section 46502, 46504, 46505, or 46506 of title 49, unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted within 8 years after the offense was committed.” 1996—Pub. L. 104–132, § 702(c)(2)–(4), substituted “2332” for “2331”, “2332a” for “2339”, and “37” for “36”. Pub. L. 104–294, § 601(b)(1), which amended section identically, was repealed by Pub. L. 107–273. Pub. L. 104–132, § 702(c)(1), (5), inserted “2332b (acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries),” after “(use of weapons of mass destruction),”, and substituted “any non-capital offense” for “any offense”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 Amendment Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4002(c)(1), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1808, provided that the amendment made by section 4002(c)(1) is effective Oct. 11, 1996.

Effective Date

of 2001 Amendment Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, § 809(b), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 380, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to the prosecution of any offense committed before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this section [Oct. 26, 2001].”

Effective Date

Pub. L. 103–322, title XII, § 120001(b), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2021, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall not apply to any offense committed more than 5 years prior to the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 13, 1994].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 3286

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73