18 U.S.C. § 2518
Procedure for interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications
United States · Title 18 — CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE · Status: effective
Cite this
- Citation
- 18 U.S.C. § 2518, Procedure for interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/449660
- Permanent ID
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Full text
Each application for an order authorizing or approving the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication under this chapter shall be made in writing upon oath or affirmation to a judge of competent jurisdiction and shall state the applicant’s authority to make such application. Each application shall include the following information:
Upon such application the judge may enter an ex parte order, as requested or as modified, authorizing or approving interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications within the territorial jurisdiction of the court in which the judge is sitting (and outside that jurisdiction but within the United States in the case of a mobile interception device authorized by a Federal court within such jurisdiction), if the judge determines on the basis of the facts submitted by the applicant that—
Each order authorizing or approving the interception of any wire, oral, or electronic communication under this chapter shall specify—
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any investigative or law enforcement officer, specially designated by the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, or by the principal prosecuting attorney of any State or subdivision thereof acting pursuant to a statute of that State, who reasonably determines that—
an emergency situation exists that involves—
Within a reasonable time but not later than ninety days after the filing of an application for an order of approval under section 2518(7)(b) which is denied or the termination of the period of an order or extensions thereof, the issuing or denying judge shall cause to be served, on the persons named in the order or the application, and such other parties to intercepted communications as the judge may determine in his discretion that is in the interest of justice, an inventory which shall include notice of—
Any aggrieved person in any trial, hearing, or proceeding in or before any court, department, officer, agency, regulatory body, or other authority of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, may move to suppress the contents of any wire or oral communication intercepted pursuant to this chapter, or evidence derived therefrom, on the grounds that—
The requirements of subsections (1)(b)(ii) and (3)(d) of this section relating to the specification of the facilities from which, or the place where, the communication is to be intercepted do not apply if—
in the case of an application with respect to the interception of an oral communication—
in the case of an application with respect to a wire or electronic communication—
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.
- Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- A joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1985, and for other purposes.House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement ActHouse: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999House: 148–267Senate: no recorded tally