Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 3051: Powers of Special Agents 1 of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives 1 So in original. The words “Special Agents” probably should not be capitalized.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute grants special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives authority to carry firearms, serve legal documents, make arrests, and seize property in enforcement of federal criminal laws.

Read the full statutory text
Special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as any other investigator or officer charged by the Attorney General with the duty of enforcing any of the criminal, seizure, or forfeiture provisions of the laws of the United States, may carry firearms, serve warrants and subpoenas issued under the authority of the United States and make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence, or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony. Any special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives may, in respect to the performance of his or her duties, make seizures of property subject to forfeiture to the United States. the seizure, summary and judicial forfeiture, and condemnation of property; the disposition of such property; the remission or mitigation of such forfeiture; and the compromise of claims, For purposes of paragraph (1), duties that are imposed upon a customs officer or any other person with respect to the seizure and forfeiture of property under the customs laws of the United States shall be performed with respect to seizures and forfeitures of property under this section by such officers, agents, or any other person as may be authorized or designated for that purpose by the Attorney General. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the disposition of firearms forfeited by reason of a violation of any law of the United States shall be governed by the provisions of section 5872(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

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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.