Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102

§3182 Fugitives From State or Territory to State, District, or Territory

Title 18 › PART II — CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › CHAPTER 209 — EXTRADITION › § 3182

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

When one state's governor asks another state, district, or territory to return a person who ran away after being accused of treason, a felony, or another crime, and sends a certified copy of an indictment or a sworn complaint, the place where the person is must arrest and hold them. That place must tell the requesting governor or their agent and hand the person over when the agent arrives. If no agent shows up within 30 days after the arrest, the prisoner may be released.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §3182

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever the executive authority of any State or Territory demands any person as a fugitive from justice, of the executive authority of any State, District, or Territory to which such person has fled, and produces a copy of an indictment found or an affidavit made before a magistrate of any State or Territory, charging the person demanded with having committed treason, felony, or other crime, certified as authentic by the governor or chief magistrate of the State or Territory from whence the person so charged has fled, the executive authority of the State, District, or Territory to which such person has fled shall cause him to be arrested and secured, and notify the executive authority making such demand, or the agent of such authority appointed to receive the fugitive, and shall cause the fugitive to be delivered to such agent when he shall appear. If no such agent appears within thirty days from the time of the arrest, the prisoner may be discharged.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 662 (R.S. § 5278). Last sentence as to costs and expenses to be paid by the demanding authority was incorporated in section 3195 of this title. Word “District” was inserted twice to make section equally applicable to fugitives found in the District of Columbia. “Thirty days” was substituted for “six months” since, in view of modern conditions, the smaller time is ample for the demanding authority to act. Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–294 inserted comma after “District” in section catchline and in two places in text.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 3182

Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102