--- kind: "section" citation: "50 U.S.C. § 1845" title: "50" title_heading: "War and National Defense" number: "1845" heading: "Use of information" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/1845" units: - "Chapter 36 — Foreign Intelligence Surveillance" - "Subchapter III — Pen Registers and Trap and Trace Devices for Foreign Intelligence Purposes" --- # §1845. Use of information - (a) **In general—** - (1) Information acquired from the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) installed pursuant to this subchapter concerning any [United States person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=i) may be used and disclosed by Federal officers and employees without the consent of the [United States person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=i) only in accordance with the provisions of this section. - (2) No information acquired from a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) installed and used pursuant to this subchapter may be used or disclosed by Federal officers or employees except for lawful purposes. - (b) **Disclosure for law enforcement purposes—** No information acquired pursuant to this subchapter shall be disclosed for law enforcement purposes unless such disclosure is accompanied by a statement that such information, or any information derived therefrom, may only be used in a criminal proceeding with the advance authorization of the [Attorney General](/usc/50/1801.md?p=g). - (c) **Notification of intended disclosure by United States—** Whenever the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) intends to enter into evidence or otherwise use or disclose in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2), department, officer, agency, regulatory body, or other authority of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) against an [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) any information obtained or derived from the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) pursuant to this subchapter, the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) shall, before the trial, hearing, or the other proceeding or at a reasonable time before an effort to so disclose or so use that information or submit it in evidence, notify the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) and the [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) or other authority in which the information is to be disclosed or used that the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) intends to so disclose or so use such information. - (d) **Notification of intended disclosure by State or political subdivision—** Whenever any [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) or political subdivision thereof intends to enter into evidence or otherwise use or disclose in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2), department, officer, agency, regulatory body, or other authority of the [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) or political subdivision thereof against an [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) any information obtained or derived from the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) pursuant to this subchapter, the [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) or political subdivision thereof shall notify the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k), the [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) or other authority in which the information is to be disclosed or used, and the [Attorney General](/usc/50/1801.md?p=g) that the [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) or political subdivision thereof intends to so disclose or so use such information. - (e) **Motion to suppress—** - (1) Any [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) against whom evidence obtained or derived from the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) is to be, or has been, introduced or otherwise used or disclosed in any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in or before any [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2), department, officer, agency, regulatory body, or other authority of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1), or a [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) or political subdivision thereof, may move to suppress the evidence obtained or derived from the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, on the grounds that— - (A) the information was unlawfully acquired; or - (B) the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, was not made in conformity with an order of authorization or approval under this subchapter. - (2) A motion under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) shall be made before the trial, hearing, or other proceeding unless there was no opportunity to make such a motion or the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) concerned was not aware of the grounds of the motion. - (f) **In camera and ex parte review—** - (1) Whenever a [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) or other authority is notified pursuant to subsection [(c)](#c) or [(d)](#d), whenever a motion is made pursuant to [subsection (e)](#e), or whenever any motion or request is made by an [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) pursuant to any other statute or rule of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) or any [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) before any [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) or other authority of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) or any [State](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) to discover or obtain applications or orders or other materials relating to the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) authorized by this subchapter or to discover, obtain, or suppress evidence or information obtained or derived from the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) authorized by this subchapter, the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) district [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) or, where the motion is made before another authority, the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) district [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) in the same district as the authority shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law and if the [Attorney General](/usc/50/1801.md?p=g) files an affidavit under oath that disclosure or any adversary hearing would harm the national security of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1), review in camera and ex parte the application, order, and such other materials relating to the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, as may be necessary to determine whether the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, was lawfully authorized and conducted. - (2) In making a determination under [paragraph (1)](#f-1), the [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) may disclose to the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k), under appropriate security procedures and protective orders, portions of the application, order, or other materials relating to the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, or may require the [Attorney General](/usc/50/1801.md?p=g) to provide to the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) a summary of such materials, only where such disclosure is necessary to make an accurate determination of the legality of the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be. - (g) **Effect of determination of lawfulness—** - (1) If the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) district [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) determines pursuant to [subsection (f)](#f) that the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) was not lawfully authorized or conducted, the [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) may, in accordance with the requirements of law, suppress the evidence which was unlawfully obtained or derived from the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, or otherwise grant the motion of the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k). - (2) If the [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) determines that the use of the [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2), as the case may be, was lawfully authorized or conducted, it may deny the motion of the [aggrieved person](/usc/50/1801.md?p=k) except to the extent that due process requires discovery or disclosure. - (h) **Binding final orders—** Orders granting motions or requests under [subsection (g)](#g), decisions under this section that the use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) was not lawfully authorized or conducted, and orders of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) district [court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) requiring review or granting disclosure of applications, orders, or other materials relating to the installation and use of a [pen register](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) or [trap and trace device](/usc/50/1841.md?p=2) shall be final orders and binding upon all [courts](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) of the [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) and the several [States](/usc/50/1801.md?p=o) except a [United States](/usc/50/1821.md?p=1) [Court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2) of Appeals or the Supreme [Court](/usc/50/1881.md?p=b-2). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 95–511, title IV, § 405, as added Pub. L. 105–272, title VI, § 601(2), Oct. 20, 1998, 112 Stat. 2408.)