---
type: "LegalText"
title: "14 U.S.C. § 523"
description: "Enforcement authority"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 14
title_name: "COAST GUARD"
chapter_number: "5"
chapter_name: "FUNCTIONS AND POWERS"
section: "523"
citation: "14 U.S.C. § 523"
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_usc14@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t14/s523"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-14/usc14.xml"
source_hash: "49fc6f2b2dcd01ef394d9183171bbf19faff2f2ee647005cda5cb7f0197b2f13"
raw_snapshot_hash: "0a287809467d795ac0e1a72d6743ea6b1d340c0f74c77c67bfeba10724006304"
text_hash: "162aa1abe7c996901a5eec1360c7e0733a0e9d8d7ff6e5abb76ea58002b6ac87"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 14 U.S.C. § 523 - Enforcement authority

## Text

Subject to guidelines approved by the Secretary, members of the Coast Guard, in the performance of official duties, may—

(1) carry a firearm; and

(2) while at a facility (as defined in section 70101 of title 46)—

(A) make an arrest without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence; and

(B) seize property as otherwise provided by law.

(Added Pub. L. 111–281, title II, § 208(a), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2912, § 99; renumbered § 523, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 99 of this title as this section.