Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73not60
§3001 Applicability of Chapter
Title 28 › Part VI— PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › Chapter 176— FEDERAL DEBT COLLECTION PROCEDURE › Subchapter A— DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 3001
Summary
Makes the chapter the only civil set of rules the United States can use to collect debts or to get court actions tied to a debt before a judgment. If another federal law gives different steps for collecting or enforcing a debt under that law, then that other law controls when the two conflict. The chapter does not apply to money or claims that are not debts.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §3001
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Except as provided in subsection (b), the 11 So in original. Probably should be “this”. chapter provides the exclusive civil procedures for the United States—
(1)to recover a judgment on a debt; or
(2)to obtain, before judgment on a claim for a debt, a remedy in connection with such claim.
(b)To the extent that another Federal law specifies procedures for recovering on a claim or a judgment for a debt arising under such law, those procedures shall apply to such claim or judgment to the extent those procedures are inconsistent with this chapter.
(c)This chapter shall not apply with respect to an amount owing that is not a debt or to a claim for an amount owing that is not a debt.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXVI, § 3631, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4966, provided that: “(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act [probably should be “title”, meaning title XXXVI of Pub. L. 101–647, which enacted this chapter and section 2044 of this title, amended section 550, 1962, 1963, and 2410 of this title, section 523 of Title 11, Bankruptcy, and section 3142 and 3552 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 1 of this title] and the
Amendments
made by this Act [title] shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 29, 1990]. “(b)(1) The
Amendments
made by title I of this Act [probably should be “subtitle A of this title”, meaning subtitle A (§§ 3611, 3302 [3612]) of title XXXVI of Pub. L. 101–647, which enacted this chapter] shall apply with respect to actions pending on the
Effective Date
of this Act [probably should be title XXXVI of Pub. L. 101–647] in any court on—“(A) a claim for a debt; or “(B) a judgment for a debt. “(2) All notices, writs, orders, and judgments in effect in such actions shall continue in effect until superseded or modified in an action under chapter 176 of title 28 of the United States Code, as added by title I of this Act [subtitle A of this title]. “(3) For purposes of this subsection—“(A) the term ‘court’ means a Federal, State, or local court, and “(B) the term ‘debt’ has the meaning given such term in section and [sic] 3002(3) of such chapter.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 3001
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60