Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 2261: Interstate domestic violence

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law criminalizes traveling across state lines or into Indian country with intent to harm an intimate partner and committing or attempting violence against them. Penalties range from 5 years to life imprisonment depending on injury severity.

Read the full statutory text
A person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce or enters or leaves Indian country or is present within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States with the intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner, and who, in the course of or as a result of such travel or presence, commits or attempts to commit a crime of violence against that spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). A person who causes a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner to travel in interstate or foreign commerce or to enter or leave Indian country by force, coercion, duress, or fraud, and who, in the course of, as a result of, or to facilitate such conduct or travel, commits or attempts to commit a crime of violence against that spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). for life or any term of years, if death of the victim results; for not more than 20 years if permanent disfigurement or life threatening bodily injury to the victim results; for not more than 10 years, if serious bodily injury to the victim results or if the offender uses a dangerous weapon during the offense; as provided for the applicable conduct under chapter 109A if the offense would constitute an offense under chapter 109A (without regard to whether the offense was committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison); and for not more than 5 years, in any other case, Whoever commits the crime of stalking in violation of a temporary or permanent civil or criminal injunction, restraining order, no-contact order, or other order described in section 2266 of title 18 , United States Code, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 1 year.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.