---
kind: "section"
citation: "28 U.S.C. § 1604"
title: "28"
title_heading: "Judiciary and Judicial Procedure"
number: "1604"
heading: "Immunity of a foreign state from jurisdiction"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/28/1604"
units:
  - "Part IV — Jurisdiction and Venue"
  - "Chapter 97 — Jurisdictional Immunities of Foreign States"
---

# §1604. Immunity of a foreign state from jurisdiction


Subject to existing international agreements to which the United States is a party at the time of enactment of this Act a foreign [state](/usc/28/1451.md?p=2) shall be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States and of the [States](/usc/28/1451.md?p=2) except as provided in sections [1605](/usc/28/1605.md) to [1607](/usc/28/1607.md) of this chapter.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 94–583, § 4(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2892.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The time of enactment of this Act, referred to in text, probably means the time of enactment of Pub. L. 94–583, which was approved Oct. 21, 1976.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective 90 days after Oct. 21, 1976, see section 8 of Pub. L. 94–583, set out as a note under section 1602 of this title.