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Title 52 — Voting and ElectionsRelease 119-73

§30145 Period of limitations

Title 52 › Subtitle Subtitle III— - Federal Campaign Finance › Chapter CHAPTER 301— - FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 30145

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

No one can be prosecuted, tried, or punished for breaking the campaign rules in subchapter I unless a formal charge (an indictment or information) is filed within 5 years after the violation. That 5‑year limit applies to violations before, on, or after this law took effect. Also, no criminal case may be started for an act that was a violation under the law as of December 31, 1974 if that act is not a violation under the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974.

Full Legal Text

Title 52, §30145

Voting and Elections — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any violation of subchapter I of this chapter, unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted within 5 years after the date of the violation.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of law—
(1)the period of limitations referred to in subsection (a) shall apply with respect to violations referred to in such subsection committed before, on, or after the effective date of this section; and
(2)no criminal proceeding shall be instituted against any person for any act or omission which was a violation of any provision of subchapter I of this chapter, as in effect on December 31, 1974, if such act or omission does not constitute a violation of any such provision, as amended by the Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Election Campaign Act

Amendments

of 1974, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is Pub. L. 93–433, Oct. 15, 1974, 88 Stat. 1263. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 455 of Title 2, The Congress, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–155 substituted “5 years” for “3 years”. 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–283, § 115(f)(1), struck out references to section 608, 610, 611, 613, 614, 615, 616, and 617 of title 18. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 94–283, § 115(f)(2), struck out references to section 608, 610, 611, and 613 of title 18.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 Amendment Pub. L. 107–155, title III, § 313(b), Mar. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 106, provided that: “The amendment made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to violations occurring on or after the

Effective Date

of this Act [for general

Effective Date

of Pub. L. 107–155, see section 402 of Pub. L. 107–155, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2002 Amendment;

Regulations

note under section 30101 of this title].”

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1975, see section 410(a) of Pub. L. 93–443, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1974 Amendment note under section 30101 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

52 U.S.C. § 30145

Title 52 — Voting and Elections

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73