---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 970"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "970"
heading: "Protection of property occupied by foreign governments"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/970"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 45 — Foreign Relations"
---

# §970. Protection of property occupied by foreign governments

- (a) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1) willfully injures, damages, or destroys, or attempts to injure, damage, or destroy, any property, real or personal, located within the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9) and belonging to or utilized or occupied by any foreign government or international [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4), by a foreign official or official guest, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
- (b) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), willfully with intent to intimidate, coerce, threaten, or harass—
  - (1) forcibly thrusts any part of himself or any object within or upon that portion of any building or premises located within the [United States](/usc/18/229F.md?p=9), which portion is used or occupied for official business or for diplomatic, consular, or residential purposes by—
    - (A) a foreign government, including such use as a mission to an international [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4);
    - (B) an international [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4);
    - (C) a foreign official; or
    - (D) an official guest; or
  - (2) refuses to depart from such portion of such building or premises after a request—
    - (A) by an [employee](/usc/18/202.md?p=c) of a foreign government or of an international [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4), if such [employee](/usc/18/202.md?p=c) is authorized to make such request by the senior official of the unit of such government or [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4) which occupies such portion of such building or premises;
    - (B) by a foreign official or any member of the foreign official’s staff who is authorized by the foreign official to make such request;
    - (C) by an official guest or any member of the official guest’s staff who is authorized by the official guest to make such request; or
    - (D) by any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) present having law enforcement powers;

  shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

- (c) For the purpose of this section “foreign government”, “foreign official”, “international [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4)”, and “official guest” shall have the same meanings as those provided in [section 1116(b) of this title](/usc/18/1116.md?p=b).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 92–539, title IV, § 401, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1073; amended Pub. L. 94–467, § 7, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2000; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(2), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $500” in concluding provisions.

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.

1976—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 94–467 added subsec. (b), redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c), and struck out reference to section 1116(c) of this title.