8 CFR § 239.1 - Notice to appear.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t8/s239.1"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "8 CFR § 239.1 - Notice to appear."
title_number: 8
title_name: "Aliens and Nationality"
section_number: "239.1"
section_name: "Notice to appear."
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS"
part_number: "239"
part_name: "INITIATION OF REMOVAL PROCEEDINGS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "8 U.S.C. 1103, 1221, 1229; Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296; 8 CFR part 2."
regulatory_source: "62 FR 10366, Mar. 6, 1997, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "239"
---


# 239.1 Notice to appear.

(a) *Issuance of notice to appear.* Any immigration officer, or supervisor thereof, performing an inspection of an arriving alien at a port-of-entry may issue a notice to appear to such alien. In addition, the following officers, or officers acting in such capacity, may issue a notice to appear:

(1) District directors (except foreign);

(2) Deputy district directors (except foreign);

(3) Chief patrol agents;

(4) Deputy chief patrol agents;

(5) Division chiefs;

(6) Assistant chief patrol agents;

(7) Patrol agents in charge;

(8) Deputy patrol agents in charge;

(9) Border patrol watch commanders;

(10) Special operations supervisors;

(11) Supervisory border patrol agents;

(12) Directors of air operations;

(13) Directors of marine operations;

(14) Supervisory air and marine interdiction agents;

(15) Service center directors;

(16) Deputy service center directors;

(17) Assistant service center directors for examinations;

(18) Supervisory immigration services officers;

(19) Supervisory immigration officers;

(20) Supervisory asylum officers;

(21) Officers in charge (except foreign);

(22) Assistant officers in charge (except foreign);

(23) Special agents in charge;

(24) Deputy special agents in charge;

(25) Associate special agents in charge;

(26) Assistant special agents in charge;

(27) Resident agents in charge;

(28) Supervisory special agents;

(29) Directors of investigations;

(30) District directors for interior enforcement;

(31) Deputy or assistant district directors for interior enforcement;

(32) Director of enforcement and removal operations;

(33) Field office directors;

(34) Deputy field office directors;

(35) Supervisory deportation officers;

(36) Supervisory detention and deportation officers;

(37) Directors or officers in charge of detention facilities;

(38) Directors of field operations;

(39) Assistant directors of field operations;

(40) Port directors;

(41) Assistant port directors;

(42) Field operations watch commanders;

(43) Field operations chiefs;

(44) Unit Chief, Law Enforcement Support Center;

(45) Section Chief, Law Enforcement Support Center; or

(46) Other duly authorized officers or employees of the Department of Homeland Security or of the United States who are delegated the authority as provided by 8 CFR 2.1 to issue notices to appear, and who have successfully completed any required immigration law enforcement training.

(b) *Service of notice to appear.* Service of the notice to appear shall be in accordance with section 239 of the Act.

[68 FR 35275, June 13, 2003, as amended at 70 FR 67089, Nov. 4, 2005; 81 FR 62355, Sept. 9, 2016]