Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-102
§6123 Authority of Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia
Title 40 › SUBTITLE II — PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS › PART C — FEDERAL BUILDING COMPLEXES › CHAPTER 61 — UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT BUILDING AND GROUNDS › SUBCHAPTER III — POLICING AUTHORITY › § 6123
Summary
Metropolitan Police can arrest people inside the Supreme Court Building or on its grounds for breaking federal or state laws or rules. They may not enter the building to answer a complaint, serve a warrant, or patrol unless the Marshal of the Supreme Court or an assistant asks or agrees.
Full Legal Text
Title 40, §6123
Public Buildings, Property, and Works, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
The Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia may make arrests within the Supreme Court Building and grounds for a violation of federal or state law or any regulation under federal or state law. This section does not authorize the Metropolitan Police to enter the Supreme Court Building to make an arrest in response to a complaint, serve a warrant, or patrol the Supreme Court Building or grounds, unless the Metropolitan Police have been requested to do so by, or have received the consent of, the Marshal of the Supreme Court or an assistant to the Marshal.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 612340:13n(b).Aug. 18, 1949, ch. 479, § 9(b), 63 Stat. 617; Pub. L. 97–390, § 1(c)(1), Dec. 29, 1982, 96 Stat. 1957. The words “violation of federal or state law or any regulation under federal or state law” are substituted for “violations of any such laws or
Regulations
”, and the words “unless the Metropolitan Police have been requested to do so by, or have received the consent of, the Marshal of the Supreme Court of the United States or an assistant to the Marshal” are substituted for “except with the consent or on the request of the Marshal of the Supreme Court or his assistants”, for clarity.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
40 U.S.C. § 6123
Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102