---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1718"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1718"
heading: "Inspections"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1718"
units:
  - "Chapter 29 — Oil and Gas Royalty Management"
  - "Subchapter I — Federal Royalty Management and Enforcement"
---

# §1718. Inspections

- (a) **Motor vehicles on lease sites; vehicles not on lease site—**
  - (1) On any [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) on Federal or [Indian lands](/usc/30/1702.md?p=3), any authorized and properly identified representative of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may stop and inspect any motor vehicle that he has probable cause to believe is carrying oil from a [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) on Federal or [Indian lands](/usc/30/1702.md?p=3) or allocated to such a [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6), for the purpose of determining whether the driver of such vehicle has documentation related to such oil as required by law.
  - (2) Any authorized and properly identified representative of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15), accompanied by any appropriate law enforcement officer, or an appropriate law enforcement officer alone, may stop and inspect any motor vehicle which is not on a [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) if he has probable cause to believe the vehicle is carrying oil from a [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) on Federal or [Indian lands](/usc/30/1702.md?p=3) or allocated to such a [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6). Such inspection shall be for the purpose of determining whether the driver of such vehicle has the documentation required by law.
- (b) **Inspection of lease sites for compliance with mineral leasing laws and this chapter—** Authorized and properly identified representatives of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may without advance notice, enter upon, travel across and inspect [lease sites](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) on Federal or [Indian lands](/usc/30/1702.md?p=3) and may obtain from the [operator](/usc/30/1702.md?p=11) immediate access to secured facilities on such [lease sites](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6), for the purpose of making any inspection or investigation for determining whether there is compliance with the requirements of the [mineral leasing laws](/usc/30/1702.md?p=8) and this chapter. The [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) shall develop guidelines setting forth the coverage and the frequency of such inspections.
- (c) **Right of Secretary to enter upon and travel across lease sites—** For the purpose of making any inspection or investigation under this chapter, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) shall have the same right to enter upon or travel across any [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) as the [lessee](/usc/30/1702.md?p=7) or [operator](/usc/30/1702.md?p=11) has acquired by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–451, title I, § 108, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2453.)