18 USC 2517: Wiretap information

            
 
          Sec. 2517. Authorization for disclosure and use of intercepted 
        wire, oral, or electronic communications
        
    (1) Any investigative or law enforcement officer who, by any means 
authorized by this chapter, has obtained knowledge of the contents of 
any wire, oral, or electronic communication, or evidence derived 
therefrom, may disclose such contents to another investigative or law 
enforcement officer to the extent that such disclosure is appropriate to 
the proper performance of the official duties of the officer making or 
receiving the disclosure.
    (2) Any investigative or law enforcement officer who, by any means 
authorized by this chapter, has obtained knowledge of the contents of 
any wire, oral, or electronic communication or evidence derived 
therefrom may use such contents to the extent such use is appropriate to 
the proper performance of his official duties.
    (3) Any person who has received, by any means authorized by this 
chapter, any information concerning a wire, oral, or electronic 
communication, or evidence derived therefrom intercepted in accordance 
with the provisions of this chapter may disclose the contents of that 
communication or such derivative evidence while giving testimony under 
oath or affirmation in any proceeding held under the authority of the 
United States or of any State or political subdivision thereof.
    (4) No otherwise privileged wire, oral, or electronic communication 
intercepted in accordance with, or in violation of, the provisions of 
this chapter shall lose its privileged character.
    (5) When an investigative or law enforcement officer, while engaged 
in intercepting wire, oral, or electronic communications in the manner 
authorized herein, intercepts wire, oral, or electronic communications 
relating to offenses other than those specified in the order of 
authorization or approval, the contents thereof, and evidence derived 
therefrom, may be disclosed or used as provided in subsections (1) and 
(2) of this section. Such contents and any evidence derived therefrom 
may be used under subsection (3) of this section when authorized or 
approved by a judge of competent jurisdiction where such judge finds on 
subsequent application that the contents were otherwise intercepted in 
accordance with the provisions of this chapter. Such application shall 
be made as soon as practicable.
    (6) Any investigative or law enforcement officer, or attorney for 
the Government, who by any means authorized by this chapter, has 
obtained knowledge of the contents of any wire, oral, or electronic 
communication, or evidence derived therefrom, may disclose such contents 
to any other Federal law enforcement, intelligence, protective, 
immigration, national defense, or national security official to the 
extent that such contents include foreign intelligence or 
counterintelligence (as defined in section 3 of the National Security 
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401a)), or
foreign intelligence information (as defined in subsection (19) of 
section 2510 of this title), to assist the official who is to receive 
that information in the performance of his official duties. Any Federal 
official who receives information pursuant to this provision may use 
that information only as necessary in the conduct of that person's 
official duties subject to any limitations on the unauthorized 
disclosure of such information.
    (7) Any investigative or law enforcement officer, or other Federal 
official in carrying out official duties as such Federal official, who 
by any means authorized by this chapter, has obtained knowledge of the 
contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, or evidence 
derived therefrom, may disclose such contents or derivative evidence to 
a foreign investigative or law enforcement officer to the extent that 
such disclosure is appropriate to the proper performance of the official 
duties of the officer making or receiving the disclosure, and foreign 
investigative or law enforcement officers may use or disclose such 
contents or derivative evidence to the extent such use or disclosure is 
appropriate to the proper performance of their official duties.
    (8) Any investigative or law enforcement officer, or other Federal 
official in carrying out official duties as such Federal official, who 
by any means authorized by this chapter, has obtained knowledge of the 
contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, or evidence 
derived therefrom, may disclose such contents or derivative evidence to 
any appropriate Federal, State, local, or foreign government official to 
the extent that such contents or derivative evidence reveals a threat of 
actual or potential attack or other grave hostile acts of a foreign 
power or an agent of a foreign power, domestic or international 
sabotage, domestic or international terrorism, or clandestine 
intelligence gathering activities by an intelligence service or network 
of a foreign power or by an agent of a foreign power, within the United 
States or elsewhere, for the purpose of preventing or responding to such 
a threat. Any official who receives information pursuant to this 
provision may use that information only as necessary in the conduct of 
that person's official duties subject to any limitations on the 
unauthorized disclosure of such information, and any State, local, or 
foreign official who receives information pursuant to this provision may 
use that information only consistent with such guidelines as the 
Attorney General and Director of Central Intelligence shall jointly 
issue.

(Added Pub. L. 90-351, title III, Sec. 802, June 19, 1968, 82 Stat. 217; 
amended Pub. L. 91-452, title IX, Sec. 902(b), Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat. 
947; Pub. L. 99-508, title I, Sec. 101(c)(1)(A), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 
Stat. 1851; Pub. L. 107-56, title II, Sec. 203(b)(1), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 
Stat. 280; Pub. L. 107-296, title VIII, Sec. 896, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 
Stat. 2257.)
                               Amendments

    2002--Pars. (7), (8). Pub. L. 107-296 added pars. (7) and (8).
    2001--Par. (6). Pub. L. 107-56 added par. (6).
    1986--Pub. L. 99-508 substituted ``wire, oral, or electronic'' for 
``wire or oral'' in section catchline and wherever appearing in text.
    1970--Par. (3). Pub. L. 91-452 substituted ``proceeding held under 
the authority of the United States or of any State or political 
subdivision thereof'' for ``criminal proceeding in any court of the 
United States or of any State or in any Federal or State grand jury 
proceeding''.

                         Change of Name

    Reference to the Director of Central Intelligence or the Director of 
the Central Intelligence Agency in the Director's capacity as the head 
of the intelligence community deemed to be a reference to the Director 
of National Intelligence. Reference to the Director of Central 
Intelligence or the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in the 
Director's capacity as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency 
deemed to be a reference to the Director of the Central Intelligence 
Agency. See section 1081(a), (b) of Pub. L. 108-458, set out as a note 
under section 401 of Title 50, War and National Defense.
                    Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 107-296 effective 60 days after Nov. 25, 2002, 
see section 4 of Pub. L. 107-296, set out as an Effective Date note 
under section 101 of Title 6, Domestic Security.
                    Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 99-508 effective 90 days after Oct. 21, 1986, 
and, in case of conduct pursuant to court order or extension, applicable 
only with respect to court orders and extensions made after such date, 
with special rule for State authorizations of interceptions, see section 
111 of Pub. L. 99-508, set out as a note under section 2510 of this 
title.
                Procedures for Disclosure of Information

    Pub. L. 107-56, title II, Sec. 203(c), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 280, 
as amended by Pub. L. 107-296, title VIII, Sec. 897(b), Nov. 25, 2002, 
116 Stat. 2258; Pub. L. 108-458, title VI, Sec. 6501(b), Dec. 17, 2004, 
118 Stat. 3760, provided that: ``The Attorney General shall establish 
procedures for the disclosure of information pursuant to paragraphs (6) 
and (8) of section 2517 of title 18, United States Code, and Rule 
6(e)(3)(D) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure [18 U.S.C. App.] 
that identifies a United States person, as defined in section 101 of the 
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801)) [sic].''