Skip to content
LexBuild

18 USC § 3052 - Powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation 

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s3052"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 3052 - Powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "3052"
section_name: "Powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation"
chapter_number: 203
chapter_name: "ARREST AND COMMITMENT"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 817; Jan. 10, 1951, ch. 1221, § 1, 64 Stat. 1239.)"
---

# § 3052. Powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Director, Associate Director, Assistant to the Director, Assistant Directors, inspectors, and agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice 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.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 817; Jan. 10, 1951, ch. 1221, § 1, 64 Stat. 1239.)

### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Executive Departments and Government Officers and Employees (, ; , title II, ).

Language relating to seizures under warrant is in .

Minor changes were made in phraseology particularly with respect to omission of provision covered by rule 5(a) of Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1951—Act , allowed F. B. I. personnel to make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence.

## Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Functions of all other officers of Department of Justice and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, with a few exceptions, transferred to Attorney General, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. , 15 F.R. 3173, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.