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18 U.S.C. § 2236

Searches without warrant

United States · Title 18 — CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Status: effective

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18 U.S.C. § 2236, Searches without warrant, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/449498
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Full text

Whoever, being an officer, agent, or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof, engaged in the enforcement of any law of the United States, searches any private dwelling used and occupied as such dwelling without a warrant directing such search, or maliciously and without reasonable cause searches any other building or property without a search warrant, shall be fined under this title for a first offense; and, for a subsequent offense, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. This section shall not apply to any person— (a) serving a warrant of arrest; or (b) arresting or attempting to arrest a person committing or attempting to commit an offense in his presence, or who has committed or is suspected on reasonable grounds of having committed a felony; or (c) making a search at the request or invitation or with the consent of the occupant of the premises.

Legislative history

The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone. The law that originally enacted this section predates the public laws loaded here, so only later amendments are listed.

  • Amended byPub. L. 104-294(H.R. 3723)1996-10-11
    Economic Espionage Act of 1996
    House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
  • Amended byPub. L. 107-273(H.R. 2215)2002-11-02
    21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act
    House: 400–4Senate: no recorded tally