Source: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2703
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 12:06:50+00:00

Document:
A governmental entity may require the disclosure by a provider of electronic communication service of the contents of a wire or electronic communication, that is in electronic storage in an electronic communications system for one hundred and eighty days or less, only pursuant to a warrant issued using the procedures described in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure (or, in the case of a State court, issued using State warrant procedures and, in the case of a court-martial or other proceeding under chapter 47 of title 10 (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), issued under section 846 of that title, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the President) by a court of competent jurisdiction. A governmental entity may require the disclosure by a provider of electronic communications services of the contents of a wire or electronic communication that has been in electronic storage in an electronic communications system for more than one hundred and eighty days by the means available under subsection (b) of this section.
except that delayed notice may be given pursuant to section 2705 of this title.
solely for the purpose of providing storage or computer processing services to such subscriber or customer, if the provider is not authorized to access the contents of any such communications for purposes of providing any services other than storage or computer processing.
seeks information under paragraph (2).
of a subscriber to or customer of such service when the governmental entity uses an administrative subpoena authorized by a Federal or State statute or a Federal or State grand jury or trial subpoena or any means available under paragraph (1).
A governmental entity receiving records or information under this subsection is not required to provide notice to a subscriber or customer.
A court order for disclosure under subsection (b) or (c) may be issued by any court that is a court of competent jurisdiction and shall issue only if the governmental entity offers specific and articulable facts showing that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the contents of a wire or electronic communication, or the records or other information sought, are relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation. In the case of a State governmental authority, such a court order shall not issue if prohibited by the law of such State. A court issuing an order pursuant to this section, on a motion made promptly by the service provider, may quash or modify such order, if the information or records requested are unusually voluminous in nature or compliance with such order otherwise would cause an undue burden on such provider.
No cause of action shall lie in any court against any provider of wire or electronic communication service, its officers, employees, agents, or other specified persons for providing information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with the terms of a court order, warrant, subpoena, statutory authorization, or certification under this chapter.
A provider of wire or electronic communication services or a remote computing service, upon the request of a governmental entity, shall take all necessary steps to preserve records and other evidence in its possession pending the issuance of a court order or other process.
Records referred to in paragraph (1) shall be retained for a period of 90 days, which shall be extended for an additional 90-day period upon a renewed request by the governmental entity.
Notwithstanding section 3105 of this title, the presence of an officer shall not be required for service or execution of a search warrant issued in accordance with this chapter requiring disclosure by a provider of electronic communications service or remote computing service of the contents of communications or records or other information pertaining to a subscriber to or customer of such service.
the term “United States person” has the meaning given the term in section 2523.
that the required disclosure would create a material risk that the provider would violate the laws of a qualifying foreign government.
Such a motion shall be filed not later than 14 days after the date on which the provider was served with the legal process, absent agreement with the government or permission from the court to extend the deadline based on an application made within the 14 days. The right to move to quash is without prejudice to any other grounds to move to quash or defenses thereto, but it shall be the sole basis for moving to quash on the grounds of a conflict of law related to a qualifying foreign government.
the customer or subscriber is not a United States person and does not reside in the United States.
if the legal process has been sought on behalf of a foreign authority pursuant to section 3512, the investigative interests of the foreign authority making the request for assistance.
A service provider shall preserve, but not be obligated to produce, information sought during the pendency of a motion brought under this subsection, unless the court finds that immediate production is necessary to prevent an adverse result identified in section 2705(a)(2).
It shall not constitute a violation of a protective order issued under section 2705 for a provider of electronic communication service to the public or remote computing service to disclose to the entity within a qualifying foreign government, designated in an executive agreement under section 2523, the fact of the existence of legal process issued under this section seeking the contents of a wire or electronic communication of a customer or subscriber who is a national or resident of the qualifying foreign government.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to modify or otherwise affect any other authority to make a motion to modify or quash a protective order issued under section 2705.
The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(A), and (c)(1)(B)(i), are set out in the Appendix to this title.
2018—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–141 added subsec. (h).
2016—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(A), (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 114–328 inserted “and, in the case of a court-martial or other proceeding under chapter 47 of title 10 (the Uniform Code of Military Justice), issued under section 846 of that title, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the President” after “warrant procedures”.
2009—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1)(A), (c)(1)(A). Pub. L. 111–79, which directed substitution of “(or, in the case of a State court, issued using State warrant procedures) by a court of competent jurisdiction” for “by a court with jurisdiction over the offense under investigation or an equivalent State warrant”, was executed by making the substitution for “by a court with jurisdiction over the offense under investigation or equivalent State warrant” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
2006—Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 109–162 struck out “or” at end.
2002—Subsec. (c)(1)(E). Pub. L. 107–273, § 4005(a)(2), realigned margins.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 107–296 inserted “, statutory authorization” after “subpoena”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 107–273, § 11010, added subsec. (g).
2001—Pub. L. 107–56, § 212(b)(1)(A), substituted “Required disclosure of customer communications or records” for “Requirements for governmental access” in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–56, §§ 209(2)(A), (B), 220(a)(1), substituted “Contents of Wire or Electronic” for “Contents of Electronic” in heading and “contents of a wire or electronic” for “contents of an electronic” in two places and “using the procedures described in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by a court with jurisdiction over the offense under investigation” for “under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure” in text.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–56, § 209(2)(A), substituted “Contents of Wire or Electronic” for “Contents of Electronic” in heading.
Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107–56, §§ 209(2)(C), 220(a)(1), substituted “any wire or electronic communication” for “any electronic communication” in introductory provisions and “using the procedures described in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by a court with jurisdiction over the offense under investigation” for “under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure” in subpar. (A).
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 107–56, § 209(2)(C), substituted “any wire or electronic communication” for “any electronic communication” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 107–56, §§ 212(b)(1)(C), 220(a)(1), designated subpar. (A) and introductory provisions of subpar. (B) as par. (1), substituted “A governmental entity may require a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service to” for “(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), a provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service may” and a closing parenthesis for provisions which began with “covered by subsection (a) or (b) of this section) to any person other than a governmental entity.” in former subpar. (A) and ended with “(B) A provider of electronic communication service or remote computing service shall disclose a record or other information pertaining to a subscriber to or customer of such service (not including the contents of communications covered by subsection (a) or (b) of this section) to a governmental entity”, redesignated clauses (i) to (iv) of former subpar. (B) as subpars. (A) to (D), respectively, substituted “using the procedures described in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by a court with jurisdiction over the offense under investigation” for “under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure” in subpar. (A) and “; or” for period at end of subpar. (D), added subpar. (E), and redesignated former subpar. (C) as par. (2).
Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 107–56, § 210, amended par. (2), as redesignated by section 212 of Pub. L. 107–56, by substituting “entity the—” for “entity the name, address, local and long distance telephone toll billing records, telephone number or other subscriber number or identity, and length of service of a subscriber” in introductory provisions, inserting subpars. (A) to (F), striking out “and the types of services the subscriber or customer utilized,” before “when the governmental entity uses an administrative subpoena”, inserting “of a subscriber” at beginning of concluding provisions and designating “to or customer of such service when the governmental entity uses an administrative subpoena authorized by a Federal or State statute or a Federal or State grand jury or trial subpoena or any means available under paragraph (1).” as remainder of concluding provisions.
Pub. L. 107–56, § 212(b)(1)(C)(iii), (D), redesignated subpar. (C) of par. (1) as par. (2) and temporarily substituted “paragraph (1)” for “subparagraph (B)”.
Pub. L. 107–56, § 212(b)(1)(B), redesignated par. (2) as (3).
Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 107–56, § 212(b)(1)(B), redesignated par. (2) as (3).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–56, § 220(b), struck out “described in section 3127(2)(A)” after “court of competent jurisdiction”.
1998—Subsec. (c)(1)(B)(iv). Pub. L. 105–184 added cl. (iv).
1996—Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 104–293 inserted “local and long distance” after “address,”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “in section 3127(2)(A)” for “in section 3126(2)(A)”.
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104–132 added subsec. (f).
1994—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 103–414, § 207(a)(1)(A), redesignated cls. (ii) to (iv) as (i) to (iii), respectively, and struck out former cl. (i) which read as follows: “uses an administrative subpoena authorized by a Federal or State statute, or a Federal or State grand jury or trial subpoena;”.
Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 103–414, § 207(a)(1)(B), added subpar. (C).
Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “section 3127(2)(A)” for “section 3126(2)(A)”.
1988—Subsecs. (b)(1)(B)(i), (c)(1)(B)(i). Pub. L. 100–690, § 7038, inserted “or trial” after “grand jury”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–690, § 7039, inserted “may be issued by any court that is a court of competent jurisdiction set forth in section 3126(2)(A) of this title and” before “shall issue”.
Amendment by Pub. L. 114–328 effective on the date designated by the President [Jan. 1, 2019, with certain conditions and exceptions, see Ex. Ord. No. 13825, set out as a note under section 801 of Title 10, Armed Forces], not later than the first day of the first calendar month beginning two years after Dec. 23, 2016, with implementing regulations prescribed by the President not later than one year after Dec. 23, 2016, and with provisions relating to applicability to various situations, see section 5542 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 801 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Section effective 90 days after Oct. 21, 1986, and, in the case of conduct pursuant to a court order or extension, applicable only with respect to court orders or extensions made after such effective date, see section 202 of Pub. L. 99–508, set out as a note under section 2701 of this title.

References: § 4005
 § 11010
 § 212
 § 209
 § 209
 § 210
 § 212
 § 212
 § 212
 § 220
 § 207
 § 207
 § 7038
 § 7039