---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 3121"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "3121"
heading: "Protection of identities of certain United States undercover intelligence officers, agents, informants, and sources"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/3121"
units:
  - "Chapter 44 — National Security"
  - "Subchapter IV — Protection of Certain National Security Information"
---

# §3121. Protection of identities of certain United States undercover intelligence officers, agents, informants, and sources

- (a) **Disclosure of information by persons having or having had access to classified information that identifies covert agent—** Whoever, having or having had [authorized](/usc/50/3126.md?p=2) access to [classified information](/usc/50/3126.md?p=1) that identifies a [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4), intentionally [discloses](/usc/50/3126.md?p=3) any information identifying such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) to any individual not [authorized](/usc/50/3126.md?p=2) to receive [classified information](/usc/50/3126.md?p=1), knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) and that the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9) is taking affirmative measures to conceal such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4)’s [intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) relationship to the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9), shall be fined under [title 18](/usc/18.md) or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.
- (b) **Disclosure of information by persons who learn identity of covert agents as result of having access to classified information—** Whoever, as a result of having [authorized](/usc/50/3126.md?p=2) access to [classified information](/usc/50/3126.md?p=1), learns the identity of a [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) and intentionally [discloses](/usc/50/3126.md?p=3) any information identifying such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) to any individual not [authorized](/usc/50/3126.md?p=2) to receive [classified information](/usc/50/3126.md?p=1), knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) and that the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9) is taking affirmative measures to conceal such [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4)’s [intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) relationship to the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9), shall be fined under [title 18](/usc/18.md) or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
- (c) **Disclosure of information by persons in course of pattern of activities intended to identify and expose covert agents—** Whoever, in the course of a [pattern of activities](/usc/50/3126.md?p=10) intended to identify and expose [covert agents](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) and with reason to believe that such activities would impair or impede the [foreign intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=2) activities of the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9), [discloses](/usc/50/3126.md?p=3) any information that identifies an individual as a [covert agent](/usc/50/3126.md?p=4) to any individual not [authorized](/usc/50/3126.md?p=2) to receive [classified information](/usc/50/3126.md?p=1), knowing that the information disclosed so identifies such individual and that the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9) is taking affirmative measures to conceal such individual’s classified [intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) relationship to the [United States](/usc/50/3126.md?p=9), shall be fined under [title 18](/usc/18.md) or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
- (d) **Imposition of consecutive sentences—** A term of imprisonment imposed under this section shall be consecutive to any other sentence of imprisonment.

## Source credit

(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title VI, § 601, as added Pub. L. 97–200, § 2(a), June 23, 1982, 96 Stat. 122; amended Pub. L. 106–120, title III, § 304(b), Dec. 3, 1999, 113 Stat. 1611; Pub. L. 111–259, title III, § 363(a), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2701.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 421 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–259, § 363(a)(1), substituted “15 years” for “ten years”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–259, § 363(a)(2), substituted “10 years” for “five years”.

1999—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–120, § 304(b)(2)(A), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $50,000”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–120, § 304(b)(2)(B), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $25,000”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–120, § 304(b)(2)(C), substituted “shall be fined under title 18” for “shall be fined not more than $15,000”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–120, § 304(b)(1), added subsec. (d).