Title 28Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§2007 Imprisonment for debt

Title 28 › Part PART V— - PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 127— - EXECUTIONS AND JUDICIAL SALES › § 2007

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal court orders must follow the State's rules about jailing people for debt. If a State has ended imprisonment for debt, a person cannot be jailed under a federal court order there, and any State limits or procedures about such jailing apply to federal orders. Someone arrested or held in a State under a federal civil court order has the same jail privileges, rules, and release procedures as people held under that State's own court orders. Any hearing to be released must be before a United States magistrate judge in the district where the person is held.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §2007

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A person shall not be imprisoned for debt on a writ of execution or other process issued from a court of the United States in any State wherein imprisonment for debt has been abolished. All modifications, conditions, and restrictions upon such imprisonment provided by State law shall apply to any writ of execution or process issued from a court of the United States in accordance with the procedure applicable in such State.
(b)Any person arrested or imprisoned in any State on a writ of execution or other process issued from any court of the United States in a civil action shall have the same jail privileges and be governed by the same regulations as persons confined in like cases on process issued from the courts of such State. The same requirements governing discharge as are applicable in such State shall apply. Any proceedings for discharge shall be conducted before a United States magistrate judge for the judicial district wherein the defendant is held.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 843, 844, and 845 (R.S. §§ 990, 991, 992; May 28, 1896, ch. 252, § 19, 29 Stat. 184; Mar. 2, 1901, ch. 814, 31 Stat. 956; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 291, 36 Stat. 1167). Changes were made in phraseology.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“United States magistrate judge” substituted for “United States magistrate” in subsec. (b) pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of this title. Previously, “United States magistrate” substituted for “United States commissioner” pursuant to Pub. L. 90–578. See chapter 43 (§ 631 et seq.) of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 2007

Title 28Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73