---
type: "LegalText"
title: "21 U.S.C. § 335"
description: "Hearing before report of criminal violation"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
chapter_number: "9"
chapter_name: "FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT"
section: "335"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 335"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc21@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s335"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-21/usc21.xml"
source_hash: "79753ec177c6a046b2eb66e0c7cdbfce72f38df56fd5350f6cc19077e24f1fa9"
raw_snapshot_hash: "3dbd7a61c8616baefb8459bd8dac3b93242106deb416308c8d4dd5a9143176d1"
text_hash: "f1e34994a886f84c46de37d980b26e4081ace8ee9d64ff855d0569f0f1f12301"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 21 U.S.C. § 335 - Hearing before report of criminal violation

## Text

Before any violation of this chapter is reported by the Secretary to any United States attorney for institution of a criminal proceeding, the person against whom such proceeding is contemplated shall be given appropriate notice and an opportunity to present his views, either orally or in writing, with regard to such contemplated proceeding.

(June 25, 1938, ch. 675, § 305, 52 Stat. 1045.)

## Notes

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions For transfer of functions of Federal Security Administrator to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare [now Health and Human Services], and of Food and Drug Administration in the Department of Agriculture to Federal Security Agency, see notes set out under section 321 of this title.