Delayed-Notice Search Warrant Report 2024

Summary and Analysis

Summary data on requests for delayed-notice search warrants and extensions for fiscal year 2024 appear in Table 1. A total of 17,475 warrant requests were reported. Of these warrant requests, 17,424 were granted, 26 were granted as modified, and 25 were denied. A total of 7,742 requests for extensions were reported; of these requests for extensions, 7,735 were granted, 5 were granted as modified, and 2 were denied.

Judges in 93 federal judicial districts reported actions on requests for delayed-notice search warrants or extensions. Of the requests for warrants and extensions, 288 were reported by federal district judges, and 24,915 were reported by federal magistrate judges.

Five districts (the Southern District of California, Southern District of New York, District of Oregon, District of Arizona, and Southern District of Texas) received 26 percent of all reported applications (see data below). 

For warrants, the most frequently reported period of delay was 30 days, which was specified in 11,118 (64 percent) of the applications that were granted. For extensions, the most frequently reported period of delay was 90 days, which was specified in 5,885 (76 percent) of the applications that were granted. 

Table 2 presents data on the offenses specified in reported requests for delayed-notice search warrants and extensions reported for 2024. Drug offenses, which continued to be the crimes cited most often in these requests, were specified in 69 percent of warrants. Fraud, the second-most frequently cited offense category, was specified in 7 percent of warrants. Offenses involving weapons, the third-most frequently cited offense category, were specified in 5 percent of warrants.