---
type: "LegalText"
title: "28 U.S.C. § 2466"
description: "Fugitive disentitlement"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 28
title_name: "JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE"
chapter_number: "163"
chapter_name: "FINES, PENALTIES AND FORFEITURES"
section: "2466"
citation: "28 U.S.C. § 2466"
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_usc28@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t28/s2466"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-28/usc28.xml"
source_hash: "94444cf5697252ea6e97f4b3ec78a348ab2f7d2cda6046b9bc208944b14bf835"
raw_snapshot_hash: "3390f867a2c02f5d0c496269da780795fe19663a090a3040c64a9ee0a541cdcf"
text_hash: "77689fd891fde533024f850c24e26fda349b4c3abefc8a747909d2ec819fd3f4"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 28 U.S.C. § 2466 - Fugitive disentitlement

## Text

(a) A judicial officer may disallow a person from using the resources of the courts of the United States in furtherance of a claim in any related civil forfeiture action or a claim in third party proceedings in any related criminal forfeiture action upon a finding that such person—

(1) after notice or knowledge of the fact that a warrant or process has been issued for his apprehension, in order to avoid criminal prosecution—

(A) purposely leaves the jurisdiction of the United States;

(B) declines to enter or reenter the United States to submit to its jurisdiction; or

(C) otherwise evades the jurisdiction of the court in which a criminal case is pending against the person; and

(2) is not confined or held in custody in any other jurisdiction for commission of criminal conduct in that jurisdiction.

(b) Subsection (a) may be applied to a claim filed by a corporation if any majority shareholder, or individual filing the claim on behalf of the corporation is a person to whom subsection (a) applies.

(Added Pub. L. 106–185, § 14(a), Apr. 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 219; amended Pub. L. 107–56, title III, § 322, Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 315; Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1171(c), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3123; Pub. L. 109–177, title IV, § 406(a)(1), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 244.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2006—Pub. L. 109–177 directed amendment of directory language of Pub. L. 107–56, § 322, identical to amendment by Pub. L. 109–162. See below. Pub. L. 109–162 amended directory language of Pub. L. 107–56, § 322. See 2001 Amendment note below. 2001—Pub. L. 107–56, § 322, as amended by Pub. L. 109–162, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2006 AmendmentPub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1171(c), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3123, provided in part that the amendment made by section 1171(c) of Pub. L. 109–162 is effective Oct. 26, 2001.

Effective DatePub. L. 106–185, § 14(c), Apr. 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 219, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section] shall apply to any case pending on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 25, 2000].”