Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§930 Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 44— - FIREARMS › § 930

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It makes it a crime to knowingly bring or have a gun or other dangerous weapon in a federal building (but not a federal court room). If you do, you can be fined and/or go to jail for up to 1 year. If you have a weapon there because you plan to use it to commit a crime, the penalty can be a fine and/or up to 5 years in jail. Bringing a weapon into a federal court facility can bring a fine and/or up to 2 years in jail. If someone kills another person while doing these acts or while attacking a federal building with a weapon, they are punished under federal homicide laws (sections 1111, 1112, 1113, and 1117). The rule does not apply to officers or employees who are doing official law enforcement work, to federal officials or military members carrying weapons when the law allows it, or to people lawfully carrying weapons for hunting or other legal purposes. Federal courts can also punish contempt or make rules about weapons in their buildings. Signs about the rules must be posted at public entrances, and you cannot be convicted under these rules if no sign is posted unless you actually knew about the rule. Definitions: federal facility (federal-owned or leased workplace), dangerous weapon (anything that can cause death or serious injury, except a pocketknife with a blade under 2½ inches), federal court facility (courtrooms and related rooms).

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §930

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.
(b)Whoever, with intent that a firearm or other dangerous weapon be used in the commission of a crime, knowingly possesses or causes to be present such firearm or dangerous weapon in a Federal facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(c)A person who kills any person in the course of a violation of subsection (a) or (b), or in the course of an attack on a Federal facility involving the use of a firearm or other dangerous weapon, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be punished as provided in section 1111, 1112, 1113, and 1117.
(d)Subsection (a) shall not apply to—
(1)the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;
(2)the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession is authorized by law; or
(3)the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.
(e)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal court facility, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
(2)Paragraph (1) shall not apply to conduct which is described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (d).
(f)Nothing in this section limits the power of a court of the United States to punish for contempt or to promulgate rules or orders regulating, restricting, or prohibiting the possession of weapons within any building housing such court or any of its proceedings, or upon any grounds appurtenant to such building.
(g)As used in this section:
(1)The term “Federal facility” means a building or part thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties.
(2)The term “dangerous weapon” means a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury, except that such term does not include a pocket knife with a blade of less than 2½ inches in length.
(3)The term “Federal court facility” means the courtroom, judges’ chambers, witness rooms, jury deliberation rooms, attorney conference rooms, prisoner holding cells, offices of the court clerks, the United States attorney, and the United States marshal, probation and parole offices, and adjoining corridors of any court of the United States.
(h)Notice of the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each Federal facility, and notice of subsection (e) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each Federal court facility, and no person shall be convicted of an offense under subsection (a) or (e) with respect to a Federal facility if such notice is not so posted at such facility, unless such person had actual notice of subsection (a) or (e), as the case may be.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 110–177 inserted “or other dangerous weapon” after “firearm”. 2001—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–56 struck out “or attempts to kill” after “A person who kills”, inserted “or attempts or conspires to do such an act,” before “shall be punished”, and substituted “1113, and 1117” for “and 1113”. 1996—Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 104–294, § 603(t), substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsection (c)”. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–294, § 603(u)(1), redesignated subsec. (g), related to posting notice in Federal facilities, as (h). Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 104–294, § 603(u)(2), substituted “(e)” for “(d)” wherever appearing. Pub. L. 104–294, § 603(u)(1), redesignated subsec. (g), related to posting notice in Federal facilities, as (h). 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, § 60014(2), substituted “(d)” for “(c)”. Subsecs. (c) to (g). Pub. L. 103–322, § 60014(1), (3), added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) to (f) as (d) to (g), respectively. 1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(1), inserted “(other than a Federal court facility)” after “Federal facility”. Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(2), (3), added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f). Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(2), redesignated subsec. (e) as (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g). Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(4), added par. (3). Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(5), inserted “and notice of subsection (d) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each Federal court facility,” after “each Federal facility,”, “or (d)” before “with respect to”, and “or (d), as the case may be” before the period. Pub. L. 101–647, § 2205(a)(2), redesignated subsec. (f) as (g).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1990 Amendment Pub. L. 101–647, title XXII, § 2205(b), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4858, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to conduct engaged in after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1990].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 930

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73