republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-206/section-3125.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 3125	Emergency pen register and trap and trace device installation	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	206	PEN REGISTERS AND TRAP AND TRACE DEVICES	3125	18 U.S.C. § 3125	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s3125	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	5d6b5d42372fcbfae94450518c5ad6aaef42044c2496bd7dfc3ce73e7d5f229f	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	f07414bc96567650490e6728699762e2440a60ee0d442015ba7db518c232b6cc	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 3125 - Emergency pen register and trap and trace device installation

Text

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any investigative or law enforcement officer, specially designated by the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, any Assistant Attorney General, any acting Assistant Attorney General, or any Deputy Assistant Attorney General, or by the principal prosecuting attorney of any State or subdivision thereof acting pursuant to a statute of that State, who reasonably determines that—

(1) an emergency situation exists that involves—

(A) immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury to any person;

(B) conspiratorial activities characteristic of organized crime;

(C) an immediate threat to a national security interest; or

(D) an ongoing attack on a protected computer (as defined in section 1030) that constitutes a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment greater than one year;

that requires the installation and use of a pen register or a trap and trace device before an order authorizing such installation and use can, with due diligence, be obtained, and

(2) there are grounds upon which an order could be entered under this chapter to authorize such installation and use;

may have installed and use a pen register or trap and trace device if, within forty-eight hours after the installation has occurred, or begins to occur, an order approving the installation or use is issued in accordance with section 3123 of this title.

(b) In the absence of an authorizing order, such use shall immediately terminate when the information sought is obtained, when the application for the order is denied or when forty-eight hours have lapsed since the installation of the pen register or trap and trace device, whichever is earlier.

(c) The knowing installation or use by any investigative or law enforcement officer of a pen register or trap and trace device pursuant to subsection (a) without application for the authorizing order within forty-eight hours of the installation shall constitute a violation of this chapter.

(d) A provider of a wire or electronic service, landlord, custodian, or other person who furnished facilities or technical assistance pursuant to this section shall be reasonably compensated for such reasonable expenses incurred in providing such facilities and assistance.

(Added Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7092(a)(2), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4410; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330008(3), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2142; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(f)(5), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3499; Pub. L. 107–296, title XXII, § 2207(i), formerly title II, § 225(i), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2158, renumbered § 2207(i), Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(2)(I), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4178.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 3125 was renumbered section 3126 of this title.

Amendments2002—Subsec. (a)(1)(C), (D). Pub. L. 107–296 added subpars. (C) and (D). 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–294 struck out closing quotation mark at end. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330008(3)(A), (B), substituted “use;” for “use’ ” in par. (2) and directed that matter beginning with “may have installed” and ending with “section 3123 of this title” be realigned so that it is flush to the left margin, which was executed to text containing a period after “section 3123 of this title”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330008(3)(C), substituted “provider of” for “provider for”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, see section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as an Effective Date note under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Effective DateSection effective 90 days after Oct. 21, 1986, and, in case of conduct pursuant to court order or extension, applicable only with respect to court orders and extensions made after such date, with special rule for State authorizations of interceptions, see section 302 of Pub. L. 99–508, set out as a note under section 3121 of this title.