US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

16 U.S.C. § 24

Jurisdiction over park; fugitives from justice

The Yellowstone National Park, as its boundaries now are defined, or as they may be hereafter defined or extended, shall be under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States. All the laws applicable to places under the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, shall have force and effect in said park. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to forbid the service in the park of any civil or criminal process of any court having jurisdiction in the States of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. All fugitives from justice taking refuge in said park shall be subject to the same laws as refugees from justice found in the State of Wyoming.

May 7, 1894, ch. 72, § 128 Stat. 73(, .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in text, is act , which is classified to sections 24 to 30a of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Codification

act Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 11536 Stat. 1130act June 5, 1924, ch. 26043 Stat. 388section 131 of Title 28Section 2 of act , provided that the Yellowstone National Park should be part of the judicial district of Wyoming, and that the courts of the United States for the district should have jurisdiction of all offenses committed within the park. It was superseded by , , constituting the State of Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park the judicial district of Wyoming, that section being in turn superseded by , . Provisions of that act are covered by , Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Wyoming: Jurisdiction Over Park

act July 10, 1890, ch. 66426 Stat. 222

“That nothing in this act contained shall repeal or affect any act of Congress relating to the Yellowstone National Park, or the reservation of the Park as now defined, or as may be hereafter defined or extended, or the power of the United States over it; and nothing contained in this act shall interfere with the right and ownership of the United States in said park and reservation as it now is or may hereafter be defined or extended by law; but exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, shall be exercised by the United States, which shall have exclusive control and jurisdiction over the same; but nothing in this proviso contained shall be construed to prevent the service within said park of civil and criminal process lawfully issued by the authority of said State.”
The act admitting the State of Wyoming into the Union, , , contained a proviso annexed to the description of the boundaries of the State, in section 2 of the act, as follows: