§150ff. Inspections and seizures; warrants

Any properly identified employee of the Department of Agriculture shall have authority to stop and inspect, without a warrant, any persons or means of conveyance moving into the United States, and any plant pests and any products and articles of any character whatsoever carried thereby, to determine whether such persons or means of conveyance are carrying any plant pest contrary to this chapter and whether any such means of conveyance, products, or articles are infested or infected by or contain any plant pest or are moving in violation of any regulation under this chapter; to stop and inspect, without a warrant, any persons or means of conveyance moving interstate, and any plant pests and any products and articles of any character whatsoever carried thereby, upon probable cause to believe that such means of conveyance, products, or articles are infested or infected by or contain any plant pest or are moving subject to any regulation under this chapter, or that such persons or means of conveyance are carrying any plant pest subject to this chapter; to stop and inspect without a warrant any person or means of conveyance moving intrastate upon probable cause to believe that the person or conveyance is carrying any product or article subject to treatment or disposal under the provisions of this chapter or the regulations issued thereunder; and to enter, with a warrant, any premises in the United States, other than places which may be entered under section 167 of this title, to make any inspections and seizures necessary under this chapter. Any judge of the United States or of a court of record of any State, Territory or possession, or a United States magistrate judge, may, within his respective jurisdiction, upon proper oath or affirmation showing probable cause to believe that there are on certain premises any products, articles, means of conveyance, or plant pests regulated or subject to disposal under this chapter, issue warrants for the entry of such premises to make any inspections or seizures under this chapter. Such warrants may be executed by any authorized employee of the Department of Agriculture.

( Pub. L. 85–36, title I, §107, May 23, 1957, 71 Stat. 34 ; Pub. L. 90–578, title IV, §402(b)(2), Oct. 17, 1968, 82 Stat. 1118 ; Pub. L. 97–98, title XI, §1119(2), Dec. 22, 1981, 95 Stat. 1273 ; Pub. L. 101–650, title III, §321, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5117 .)

References in Text

In the original, "this chapter" was "this Act". See note set out under section 150aa of this title.

Amendments

1981-Pub. L. 97–98 inserted "to stop and inspect without a warrant any person or means of conveyance moving intrastate upon probable cause to believe that the person or conveyance is carrying any product or article subject to treatment or disposal under the provisions of this Act or the regulations issued thereunder;" after "subject to this chapter;".

Change of Name

"United States magistrate judge" substituted for "United States magistrate" in text pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. Previously, "United States magistrate" substituted for "United States commissioner" pursuant to Pub. L. 90–578. See chapter 43 (§631 et seq.) of Title 28.

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–98 effective Dec. 22, 1981, see section 1801 of Pub. L. 97–98, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4301 of this title.