PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

You cannot knowingly bring or try to bring a gun or any other dangerous weapon into most federal buildings. If you do, you can be fined or jailed for up to 1 year. If you bring a weapon into a federal building intending to use it to commit a crime, the penalty can be a fine or up to 5 years in prison. Bringing a weapon into a federal court building is also illegal and can bring a fine or up to 2 years in jail, unless one of the listed exceptions applies. If someone kills another person while doing these acts or while attacking a federal facility with a weapon, they will be punished under the federal murder and manslaughter laws. Authorized law officers, federal officials or military members acting under law, and people carrying weapons for lawful activities like hunting are allowed in many cases. Federal courts can set their own weapon rules and punishments for people in court buildings. Definitions: Federal facility — a building owned or leased by the U.S. where federal employees work regularly. Dangerous weapon — anything that can cause death or serious harm (except a pocketknife blade under 2½ inches). Federal court facility — courtrooms and related rooms and corridors. Notice about the rules must be posted at public entrances; if it is not posted you cannot be convicted unless you actually knew the rule.

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.

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].”

§930 Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities

Summary

Title 18, §930

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata