---
type: "LegalText"
title: "49 U.S.C. § 33118"
description: "Preemption of State and local law"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 49
title_name: "TRANSPORTATION"
chapter_number: "331"
chapter_name: "THEFT PREVENTION"
section: "33118"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 33118"
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_usc49@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t49/s33118"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-49/usc49.xml"
source_hash: "6ad0d80f61b6f06e0aa477b056650e1f1e76f93b836ff9f31c182e46188ee952"
raw_snapshot_hash: "0786acdd244d8f42c5a8e8ed1ec2a8dcb47dd0e02a286752710a20745702a4fb"
text_hash: "23d6ea5f0a65fb0c47f198dad5f4e854aa55bad4deac17fc8792fac424fe6963"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 49 U.S.C. § 33118 - Preemption of State and local law

## Text

When a motor vehicle theft prevention standard prescribed under section 33102 or 33103 of this title is in effect, a State or political subdivision of a State may not have a different motor vehicle theft prevention standard for a motor vehicle or major replacement part.

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1093.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3311815:2031.Oct. 20, 1972, Pub. L. 92–513, 86 Stat. 947, § 614; added Oct. 25, 1984, Pub. L. 98–547, § 101(a), 98 Stat. 2763; Oct. 25, 1992, Pub. L. 102–519, § 306(a), 106 Stat. 3397. The words “may not have” are substituted for “no . . . shall have any authority either to establish, or to continue in effect” to eliminate unnecessary words.