---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1585a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1585a"
heading: "Special agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service: authority to execute warrants and make arrests"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1585a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 81 — Civilian Employees"
---

# §1585a. Special agents of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service: authority to execute warrants and make arrests

- (a) **Authority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may authorize any DCIS special agent described in [subsection (b)](#b)—
  - (1) to execute and serve any warrant or other process issued under the authority of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1); and
  - (2) to make arrests without a warrant—
    - (A) for any offense against the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) committed in the presence of that agent; and
    - (B) for any felony cognizable under the laws of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) if the agent has probable cause to believe that the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) to be arrested has committed or is committing the felony.
- (b) **Agents To Have Authority.—** [Subsection (a)](#a) applies to any DCIS special agent whose duties include conducting, supervising, or coordinating investigations of criminal activity in [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) and operations of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
- (c) **Guidelines on Exercise of Authority.—** The authority provided under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be exercised in accordance with guidelines prescribed by the Inspector General of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense and approved by the Attorney General and any other applicable guidelines prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense or the Attorney General.
- (d) **DCIS Special Agent Defined.—** In this section, the term “DCIS special agent” means an employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense who is a special agent of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (or any successor to that service).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1071(a), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1897.)