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Report of the Director of the Administrative Office 

of the United States Courts 

on Applications for Delayed-Notice Search Warrants and Extensions

The USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 requires the Director of the 

Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) to transmit to Congress annually a full 

and complete report summarizing information reported by judges to the AO on delayed-notice 

search warrants. The report is to include the number of applications for warrants and extensions 

of warrants authorizing delayed notice and the number of such warrants and extensions granted 

or denied during the preceding fiscal year. The requirement to report this information to 

Congress began with the fiscal year ended September 30, 2007. 

This report covers applications for delayed-notice search warrants and extensions between 

October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2011. 

Reporting Requirements of the Statute

Any federal or state judge who issues or denies a federal warrant authorizing delayed notice, or 

an extension of such a warrant, is required to file a report on the warrant with the AO. 

(18 U.S.C. § 3103a(d)(1)) This report is to be furnished not later than 30 days after the 

expiration of the warrant’s notice period (including any extensions to the notice period) or 30 

days after the denial of the warrant or the request for extension. The report must include the 

offense specified in the warrant or application, the period of delay authorized, the number and 

duration of any extensions, and the action taken on the application. 

The AO is required to report annually to Congress on the information submitted by judges for the 

preceding fiscal year. This report must include the number of applications for delayed-notice 

search warrants and extensions and the number of warrants and extensions granted or denied. 

(18 U.S.C. § 3103a(d)(2)) 

Summary and Analysis of Reports for Fiscal Year 2011

Summary data on applications for delayed-notice search warrants and extensions for fiscal year 

2011 are shown in Table 1. A total of 3,743 warrant requests and 3,032 requests for extensions 

were reported for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011. Sixteen of the applications reported 

were denied, 51 of the applications were granted as modified, and the rest were granted as 

requested. 

Judges in 85 federal judicial districts reported actions on applications for delayed-notice search 

warrants or extensions, an increase from 72 districts in the 2010 fiscal year. The greatest 

numbers of applications were reported by judges in the Southern District of California (828), the 

District of Arizona (536), the District of Kansas (531), and the Northern District of Georgia 

(468); applications in these four districts accounted for over a third of all applications reported. 

Of the 6,775 applications reported, 6,607 (98 percent) were reported by federal magistrate judges 

and 168 were reported by federal district judges. No applications were reported by state judges. 
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The periods of delay specified ranged from 1 day to 366 days. The most frequently reported 

period of delay was 90 days, specified in 3,446 (51 percent) of the applications that were 

granted. (See Graph 1.) Extensions to the period of delay numbered from one to 47, with two 

being the most frequently reported number of extensions. (See Graph 2.) 

Offenses

Table 2 presents the types of offenses specified in delayed-notice search warrant and extension 

requests reported in 2011. Drug offenses were specified in 75 percent of applications reported, 

followed by extortion/racketeering (5 percent) and fraud (4 percent). 
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Table 1. Delayed-notice warrant and extension requests - fiscal year 2011

 Total 

requests 

Average 

delay 

(in days)

Warrant 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

Extension 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

ALL CIRCUITS 6775 66 3743 3698 35 10 3032 3010 16 6 

 

DC CIRCUIT 68 38 58 58 0 0 10 10 0 0 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 68 38 58 58 0 0 10 10 0 0 

FIRST CIRCUIT 356 54 254 239 14 1 102 102 0 0 

MAINE 70 47 39 38 0 1 31 31 0 0 

MASSACHUSETTS 153 43 117 117 0 0 36 36 0 0 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 53 97 22 22 0 0 31 31 0 0 

RHODE ISLAND 15 70 12 12 0 0 3 3 0 0 

PUERTO RICO 65 49 64 50 14 0 1 1 0 0 

 

SECOND CIRCUIT 612 39 498 493 3 2 114 112 2 0 

CONNECTICUT 10 81 6 6 0 0 4 4 0 0 

NEW YORK (NORTHERN) 27 50 7 7 0 0 20 20 0 0 

NEW YORK (EASTERN) 149 42 113 110 3 0 36 36 0 0 

NEW YORK (SOUTHERN) 391 36 347 345 0 2 44 43 1 0 

NEW YORK (WESTERN) 24 43 17 17 0 0 7 6 1 0 

VERMONT 11 40 8 8 0 0 3 3 0 0 

 

THIRD CIRCUIT 120 34 117 117 0 0 3 3 0 0 

DELAWARE 1 90 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 

NEW JERSEY 74 29 73 73 0 0 1 1 0 0 

PENNSYLVANIA (EASTERN) 2 60 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 

PENNSYLVANIA (MIDDLE) 26 30 26 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 

PENNSYLVANIA (WESTERN) 17 53 15 15 0 0 2 2 0 0 

 

FOURTH CIRCUIT 346 48 296 295 0 1 50 50 0 0 

MARYLAND 123 47 108 108 0 0 15 15 0 0 

NORTH CAROLINA (EASTERN) 25 39 22 22 0 0 3 3 0 0 

NORTH CAROLINA (MIDDLE) 55 30 55 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 

NORTH CAROLINA (WESTERN) 79 55 67 67 0 0 12 12 0 0 

SOUTH CAROLINA 16 36 14 14 0 0 2 2 0 0 

VIRGINIA (EASTERN) 43 66 26 25 0 1 17 17 0 0 

VIRGINIA (WESTERN) 2 68 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 

WEST VIRGINIA (NORTHERN) 1 30 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 

WEST VIRGINIA (SOUTHERN) 2 45 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
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 Total 

requests 

Average 

delay 

(in days)

Warrant 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

Extension 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

FIFTH CIRCUIT 691 77 346 340 5 1 345 336 9 0 

LOUISIANA (EASTERN) 21 30 21 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 

LOUISIANA (MIDDLE) 6 64 4 3 0 1 2 2 0 0 

LOUISIANA (WESTERN) 60 94 56 56 0 0 4 4 0 0 

MISSISSIPPI (SOUTHERN) 4 45 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 

TEXAS (NORTHERN) 107 53 81 80 1 0 26 26 0 0 

TEXAS (EASTERN) 5 60 3 3 0 0 2 2 0 0 

TEXAS (SOUTHERN) 382 86 115 112 3 0 267 258 9 0 

TEXAS (WESTERN) 106 68 64 64 0 0 42 42 0 0 

 

SIXTH CIRCUIT 540 59 290 288 2 0 250 249 0 1 

KENTUCKY (EASTERN) 7 34 4 2 2 0 3 3 0 0 

KENTUCKY (WESTERN) 12 60 6 6 0 0 6 6 0 0 

MICHIGAN (EASTERN) 222 68 112 112 0 0 110 110 0 0 

MICHIGAN (WESTERN) 11 41 11 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 

OHIO (NORTHERN) 101 59 57 57 0 0 44 44 0 0 

OHIO (SOUTHERN) 120 52 52 52 0 0 68 68 0 0 

TENNESSEE (EASTERN) 18 32 15 15 0 0 3 3 0 0 

TENNESSEE (MIDDLE) 47 48 31 31 0 0 16 15 0 1 

TENNESSEE (WESTERN) 2 20 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 

 

SEVENTH CIRCUIT 275 59 216 216 0 0 59 59 0 0 

ILLINOIS (NORTHERN) 9 63 5 5 0 0 4 4 0 0 

ILLINOIS (CENTRAL) 1 30 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 

ILLINOIS (SOUTHERN) 67 61 40 40 0 0 27 27 0 0 

INDIANA (NORTHERN) 27 46 22 22 0 0 5 5 0 0 

INDIANA (SOUTHERN) 110 47 94 94 0 0 16 16 0 0 

WISCONSIN (EASTERN) 61 85 54 54 0 0 7 7 0 0 

 

EIGHTH CIRCUIT 389 76 101 95 6 0 288 287 1 0 

ARKANSAS (EASTERN) 5 30 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 

IOWA (SOUTHERN) 23 65 17 11 6 0 6 5 1 0 

MINNESOTA 170 88 18 18 0 0 152 152 0 0 

MISSOURI (EASTERN) 51 71 12 12 0 0 39 39 0 0 

MISSOURI (WESTERN) 129 69 43 43 0 0 86 86 0 0 

NEBRASKA 6 50 4 4 0 0 2 2 0 0 

NORTH DAKOTA 5 30 2 2 0 0 3 3 0 0 

 
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 Total 

requests 

Average 

delay 

(in days)

Warrant 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

Extension 

requests Granted 

Granted 

as 

modified Denied 

NINTH CIRCUIT 1990 75 913 908 2 3 1077 1069 3 5 

ALASKA 5 60 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 

ARIZONA 536 74 175 175 0 0 361 360 1 0 

CALIFORNIA (NORTHERN) 44 67 18 18 0 0 26 26 0 0 

CALIFORNIA (EASTERN) 29 53 23 23 0 0 6 6 0 0 

CALIFORNIA (CENTRAL) 192 65 114 111 1 2 78 75 0 3 

CALIFORNIA (SOUTHERN) 828 81 351 349 1 1 477 473 2 2 

HAWAII 112 89 69 69 0 0 43 43 0 0 

IDAHO 6 40 1 1 0 0 5 5 0 0 

MONTANA 2 60 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 

NEVADA 44 56 35 35 0 0 9 9 0 0 

OREGON 45 78 18 18 0 0 27 27 0 0 

WASHINGTON (EASTERN) 19 72 15 15 0 0 4 4 0 0 

WASHINGTON (WESTERN) 112 67 73 73 0 0 39 39 0 0 

GUAM 16 52 15 15 0 0 1 1 0 0 

 

TENTH CIRCUIT 784 68 335 335 0 0 449 449 0 0 

COLORADO 120 47 72 72 0 0 48 48 0 0 

KANSAS 531 76 164 164 0 0 367 367 0 0 

NEW MEXICO 83 55 67 67 0 0 16 16 0 0 

OKLAHOMA (NORTHERN) 5 45 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 

OKLAHOMA (EASTERN) 33 62 17 17 0 0 16 16 0 0 

OKLAHOMA (WESTERN) 5 72 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 

UTAH 7 42 5 5 0 0 2 2 0 0 

 

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT 604 75 319 314 3 2 285 284 1 0 

ALABAMA (NORTHERN) 30 54 22 22 0 0 8 8 0 0 

ALABAMA (MIDDLE) 5 90 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 

FLORIDA (NORTHERN) 17 90 14 14 0 0 3 3 0 0 

FLORIDA (MIDDLE) 14 51 12 12 0 0 2 2 0 0 

FLORIDA (SOUTHERN) 33 61 21 21 0 0 12 11 1 0 

GEORGIA (NORTHERN) 468 78 226 226 0 0 242 242 0 0 

GEORGIA (MIDDLE) 28 81 13 8 3 2 15 15 0 0 

GEORGIA (SOUTHERN) 9 67 6 6 0 0 3 3 0 0 

 
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Table 2. Offenses specified for delayed-notice warrant and extension requests - fiscal year 2011 

 Reports Warrants Extensions 

 Offense Number Percent* Number Percent* Number Percent* 

Total 6775 100% 3743 100% 3032 100% 

 

Drugs 5093 75% 2693 72% 2400 79% 

Extortion/Racketeering 337 5% 155 4% 182 6% 

Fraud 240 4% 160 4% 80 3% 

Sex Offense/Forced Labor 194 3% 175 5% 19 - 

Immigration 102 2% 50 - 52 2% 

Weapons 96 - 61 2% 35 - 

Fugitive/Supervised Release 

Violation 58 - 57 2% 1 -

 

Robbery/Carjacking 56 - 38 - 18 - 

Theft/Embezzlement 38 - 33 - 5 - 

Terrorism 31 - 11 - 20 - 

Conspiracy 29 - 21 - 8 - 

Smuggling/Contraband 20 - 15 - 5 - 

Arms 15 - 4 - 11 - 

Forfeiture 14 - 0 - 14 - 

Murder 14 - 13 - 1 - 

Counterfeit 12 - 10 - 2 - 

Food & Drug 12 - 9 - 3 - 

Kidnapping 12 - 12 - 0 - 

Bribery 10 - 5 - 5 - 

Threats 9 - 9 - 0 - 

IEEPA** 6 - 4 - 2 - 

Obstruction 6 - 5 - 1 - 

Currency 5 - 4 - 1 - 

Environment 5 - 2 - 3 - 

Espionage 4 - 4 - 0 - 

Gambling 4 - 4 - 0 - 

Wildlife 4 - 3 - 1 - 

Other 19 - 16 - 3 - 

Unspecified 330 5% 170 5% 160 5% 

* Percentages not shown where the percentage is less than 2%. 

** International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 1701-1707. 

   
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Graph 1. Periods of delayed notice - fiscal year 2011 

Graph 2. Total numbers of extensions - fiscal year 2011 

0

500

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2500

3000

3500

4000

30 45 60 90 Other

Number of applications

Period of delay authorized, in days

Periods of Delayed Notice

Extensions

Warrants

0

100

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+

Frequency

Number of extensions reported

Total Numbers of Extensions