---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 C.F.R. § 51.7"
title: "22"
number: "51.7"
heading: "Passport property of the U.S. Government."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/22/51.7"
---

# §51.7. Passport property of the U.S. Government.

- (a) A passport at all times remains the property of the United States and must be returned to the U.S. Government upon demand.
- (b) Law enforcement authorities who take possession of a passport for use in an investigation or prosecution must return the passport to the Department on completion of the investigation and/or prosecution.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1104; 8 U.S.C. 1185; 8 U.S.C. 1185n (text of Pub. L. 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638, 3823 (Dec. 17, 2004)); 8 U.S.C. 1504; 8 U.S.C. 1714; 22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 212a, 212b, 213, 213n (Pub. L. 106-113 Div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [Div. A, Title II, Sec. 236], 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-430); 214, 214a, 217a, 218, 2651a, 2671(d)(3), 2705, 2714, 2714a, 2721, and 3926; 26 U.S.C. 6039E; 26 CFR 301.6039E-1; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 34 U.S.C. 21501-21510; 42 U.S.C. 652(k) ; E.O. 11295, Aug. 5, 1966, 31 FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 570; Pub. L. 114-119, 130 Stat. 15.

### Source

Source: 72 FR 64931, Nov. 19, 2007, unless otherwise noted.