Main content

Delayed-Notice Search Warrant Report 2023

Summary and Analysis

Summary data on requests for delayed-notice search warrants and extensions for fiscal year 2023 appear in Table 1. A total of 16,987 warrant requests were reported. Of these warrant requests, 16,881 were granted, 33 were granted as modified, and 73 were denied. A total of 9,328 requests for extensions were reported; of these requests for extensions, 9,311 were granted, 13 were granted as modified, and 4 were denied.

Judges in 94 federal judicial districts reported actions on requests for delayed-notice search warrants or extensions. Of the requests for warrants and extensions, 330 were reported by federal district judges, and 25,975 were reported by federal magistrate judges.

Five districts (the Southern District of California, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of New York, Arizona, and Oregon) received 25 percent of all reported applications (see data below).

Top Five Districts Receiving Applications for Delayed-Notice Search Warrants or Extensions

District	Total Requests	Warrants	Extensions
Southern District of California	1,853	672	1,181
Eastern District of Michigan	1,388	646	742
Southern District of New York	1,281	1,210	71
Arizona	1,012	429	583
Oregon	993	462	531

For warrants, the most frequently reported period of delay was 30 days, which was specified in 10,914 (65 percent) of the applications that were granted. For extensions, the most frequently reported period of delay was 90 days, which was specified in 7,036 (75 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 2023. Drug offenses, which continued to be the crimes cited most often in these requests, were specified in 72 percent of warrants. Fraud, the second-most frequently cited offense category, was specified in 6 percent of warrants. Offenses involving weapons, the third-most frequently cited offense category, were specified in 5 percent of warrants.