# § 1302. Registration of aliens
**(a)** It shall be the duty of every alien now or hereafter in the United States, who (1) is fourteen years of age or older, (2) has not been registered and fingerprinted under section 1201(b) of this title or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, to apply for registration and to be fingerprinted before the expiration of such thirty days.
**(b)** It shall be the duty of every parent or legal guardian of any alien now or hereafter in the United States, who (1) is less than fourteen years of age, (2) has not been registered under section 1201(b) of this title or section 30 or 31 of the Alien Registration Act, 1940, and (3) remains in the United States for thirty days or longer, to apply for the registration of such alien before the expiration of such thirty days. Whenever any alien attains his fourteenth birthday in the United States he shall, within thirty days thereafter, apply in person for registration and to be fingerprinted.
**(c)** The Attorney General may, in his discretion and on the basis of reciprocity pursuant to such regulations as he may prescribe, waive the requirement of fingerprinting specified in subsections (a) and (b) in the case of any nonimmigrant.
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**Source Credit**: (June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 7, § 262, 66 Stat. 224; Pub. L. 99–653, § 9, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3657; Pub. L. 100–525, § 8(h), Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2617; Pub. L. 103–416, title II, § 219(n), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4317.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
The Alien Registration Act, 1940, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), is , . Sections 30 and 31 of that act were classified to sections 451 and 452 of this title and were repealed by section 403(a)(39) of act .
### Amendments
1994—Subsec. (c). substituted “subsections (a) and (b)” for “subsection (a) and (b)”.
1988— amended . See 1986 Amendment note below.
1986—, as amended by , added subsec. (c). As originally enacted, , amended subsec. (a) of this section by striking out “ or” after “registered and fingerprinted under”. revised , so as to add subsec. (c) and eliminate the original amendment of subsec. (a), thereby restoring the words “ or”. See Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note below.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990, , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Amendment by effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1986, , see , set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendments note under .
### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Amendment by applicable to applications for immigrant visas made, and visas issued, on or after , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date
Section effective 180 days after , see section 407 of act , set out as a note under .
### Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and Transfer of Functions
For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service, transfer of functions, and treatment of related references, see note set out under .