§3407 — Title 12 Banks and Banking | U.S. Code

Summary

A government agency can get a person’s bank records by a court-ordered subpoena only if certain steps are followed. First, the subpoena must be allowed by law and there must be a real reason to think the records matter to a lawful investigation. Second, the customer must be given a copy of the subpoena on or before the day the bank gets it, or it must be mailed to the customer’s last known address, and that copy must include a notice that says what the investigation is about, explains how the customer can object (fill out and file a sworn motion with the court, give a copy to the agency, and be ready to appear in court), says a lawyer is optional, and warns that records could be released to other agencies (with later notice). Third, ten days must pass after service or fourteen days after mailing, and the customer must not have filed the sworn motion to stop the release or used the law’s other challenge procedures.

Title 12, §3407

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

A Government authority may obtain financial records under section 3402(4) of this title pursuant to judicial subpena only if—

(1)such subpena is authorized by law and there is reason to believe that the records sought are relevant to a legitimate law enforcement inquiry;

(2)a copy of the subpena has been served upon the customer or mailed to his last known address on or before the date on which the subpena was served on the financial institution together with the following notice which shall state with reasonable specificity the nature of the law enforcement inquiry:“Records or information concerning your transactions which are held by the financial institution named in the attached subpena are being sought by this (agency or department or authority) in accordance with the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 [12 U.S.C. 3401 et seq.] for the following purpose: If you desire that such records or information not be made available, you must: “1. Fill out the accompanying motion paper and sworn statement or write one of your own, stating that you are the customer whose records are being requested by the Government and either giving the reasons you believe that the records are not relevant to the legitimate law enforcement inquiry stated in this notice or any other legal basis for objecting to the release of the records. “2. File the motion and statement by mailing or delivering them to the clerk of the Court. “3. Serve the Government authority requesting the records by mailing or delivering a copy of your motion and statement to . “4. Be prepared to come to court and present your position in further detail. “5. You do not need to have a lawyer, although you may wish to employ one to represent you and protect your rights. If you do not follow the above procedures, upon the expiration of ten days from the date of service or fourteen days from the date of mailing of this notice, the records or information requested therein will be made available. These records may be transferred to other government authorities for legitimate law enforcement inquiries, in which event you will be notified after the transfer;” and

(3)ten days have expired from the date of service or fourteen days from the date of mailing of the notice to the customer and within such time period the customer has not filed a sworn statement and motion to quash in an appropriate court, or the customer challenge provisions of section 3410 of this title have been complied with.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, referred to in par. (2), is title XI of Pub. L. 95–630, Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3697, which is classified generally to this chapter (§ 3401 et seq.). For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3401 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective upon the expiration of 120 days after Nov. 10, 1978, see section 2101 of Pub. L. 95–630, set out as a note under section 375b of this title.

§3407 Judicial Subpena