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18 USC § 3673 - Definitions for sentencing provisions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s3673"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 3673 - Definitions for sentencing provisions"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "3673"
section_name: "Definitions for sentencing provisions"
chapter_number: 232
chapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS SENTENCING PROVISIONS"
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: "(Added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 212(a)(4), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2010; amended Pub. L. 99–646, § 2(a), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3592.)"
---

# § 3673. Definitions for sentencing provisions

As used in chapters 227 and 229—

**(1)** the term “found guilty” includes acceptance by a court of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere;

**(2)** the term “commission of an offense” includes the attempted commission of an offense, the consummation of an offense, and any immediate flight after the commission of an offense; and

**(3)** the term “law enforcement officer” means a public servant authorized by law or by a government agency to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of an offense.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 212(a)(4), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2010; amended Pub. L. 99–646, § 2(a), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3592.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1986— redesignated pars. (a) to (c) as (1) to (3), respectively, and inserted “the term” after “(1)”, “(2)”, and “(3)”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the taking effect of
> 
> , United States Code [
> 
> ].”

, , , provided that:

### Effective Date

Section effective , and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of this section, see , set out as a note under .