---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 3171"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "3171"
heading: "Stay of sanctions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/3171"
units:
  - "Chapter 44 — National Security"
  - "Subchapter VII — Application of Sanctions Laws to Intelligence Activities"
---

# §3171. Stay of sanctions


Notwithstanding any provision of law identified in [section 3174 of this title](/usc/50/3174.md), the President may stay the imposition of an economic, cultural, diplomatic, or other sanction or related action by the United States Government concerning a foreign country, organization, or person when the President determines and reports to Congress in accordance with [section 3173 of this title](/usc/50/3173.md) that to proceed without delay would seriously risk the compromise of an ongoing criminal investigation directly related to the activities giving rise to the sanction or an [intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) source or method directly related to the activities giving rise to the sanction. Any such stay shall be effective for a period of time specified by the President, which period may not exceed 120 days, unless such period is extended in accordance with [section 3172 of this title](/usc/50/3172.md).


## Source credit

(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title IX, § 901, as added Pub. L. 104–93, title III, § 303(a), Jan. 6, 1996, 109 Stat. 964.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 441 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.