US Code

Public Law 119-87 (04/30/2026)

18 U.S.C. § 113

Assaults within maritime and territorial jurisdiction

(a)
Whoever, within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, is guilty of an assault shall be punished as follows:
(1)
Assault with intent to commit murder or a violation of section 2241 or 2242, by a fine under this title, imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or both.
(2)
Assault with intent to commit any felony, except murder or a violation of section 2241 or 2242, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.
(3)
Assault with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.
(4)
Assault by striking, beating, or wounding, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both.
(5)
Simple assault, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, or if the victim of the assault is an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years, by fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both.
(6)
Assault resulting in serious bodily injury, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than ten years, or both.
(7)
Assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or intimate partner, a dating partner, or an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both.
(8)
Assault of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner by strangling, suffocating, or attempting to strangle or suffocate, by a fine under this title, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both.
(b)

Definitions .—

In this section—
(1)
the term “substantial bodily injury” means bodily injury which involves—
(A)
a temporary but substantial disfigurement; or
(B)
a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member, organ, or mental faculty;
(2)
section 1365 of this title the term “serious bodily injury” has the meaning given that term in ;
(3)
1
1 So in original. Probably should be “meaning”.
the terms “dating partner” and “spouse or intimate partner” have the meanings  given those terms in section 2266;
(4)
the term “strangling” means intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of a person by applying pressure to the throat or neck, regardless of whether that conduct results in any visible injury or whether there is any intent to kill or protractedly injure the victim; and
(5)
the term “suffocating” means intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly impeding the normal breathing of a person by covering the mouth of the person, the nose of the person, or both, regardless of whether that conduct results in any visible injury or whether there is any intent to kill or protractedly injure the victim.

June 25, 1948, ch. 645 62 Stat. 689 Pub. L. 94–297, § 390 Stat. 585 Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(c)(2)100 Stat. 3623 Pub. L. 99–654, § 3(a)(2)100 Stat. 3663 Pub. L. 103–322, title XVII, § 170201(a)108 Stat. 2042 Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(7)110 Stat. 3507 Pub. L. 113–4, title IX, § 906(a)127 Stat. 124 (, ; , , ; , (3), , ; , (3), , ; –(d), title XXXII, § 320101(c), title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(B), , , 2043, 2108, 2148; , (12)(B), , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 276 35 Stat. 1143 Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 455 (, ).

section 451 of title 18section 7 of this titleOpening paragraph was added to preserve the jurisdictional limitation provided for by , U.S.C., 1940 ed., now . (See reviser’s note thereunder.)

Phraseology was simplified.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(A)2013—Subsec. (a)(1). , added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “Assault with intent to commit murder, by imprisonment for not more than twenty years.”

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(B)Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “violation of section 2241 or 2242” for “felony under chapter 109A”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(C)Subsec. (a)(3). , struck out “and without just cause or excuse,” after “bodily harm,”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(D)Subsec. (a)(4). , substituted “1 year” for “six months”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(E)Subsec. (a)(7). , substituted “substantial bodily injury to a spouse or intimate partner, a dating partner, or an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years” for “substantial bodily injury to an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years” and “a fine” for “fine”.

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(1)(F)Subsec. (a)(8). , added par. (8).

Pub. L. 113–4, § 906(a)(2)Subsec. (b). , inserted heading, substituted “In this section—” for “As used in this subsection—”, and added pars. (3) to (5).

Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(12)(B)Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(c)(1)(A)1996—, repealed , (2)(A). See 1994 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(7)Pub. L. 103–322, § 170201(c)(1), repealed –(3). See 1994 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(2)(B)1994—, substituted “a fine under this title” for “fine of not more than” through the immediately following dollar amount wherever appearing.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 320101(c)Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(12)(B), as amended by , which directed the amendment of subsec. (c) by substituting “ten years” for “five years” and the amendment of subsec. (e) by substituting “six months” for “three months”, were executed by making the substitutions in subsecs. (a)(3) and (a)(5), respectively, to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the redesignation of subsecs. (c) and (e) as subsecs. (a)(3) and (a)(5), respectively. See below.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 170201(a)Pub. L. 104–294, § 604(b)(7)–(d), as amended by , designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), redesignated former subsecs. (a) to (f) as pars. (1) to (6), respectively of subsec. (a) and realigned margins, inserted before period at end of par. (5) “, or if the victim of the assault is an individual who has not attained the age of 16 years, by fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both”, and added subsecs. (a)(7) and (b).

Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(c)(2)Pub. L. 99–654, § 3(a)(2)1986—Subsec. (a). , and , amended subsec. (a) identically, striking out “or rape” after “murder”.

Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(c)(3)Pub. L. 99–654, § 3(a)(3)Subsec. (b). , and , amended subsec. (b) identically, substituting “a felony under chapter 109A” for “rape”.

Pub. L. 94–2971976—Subsec. (f). added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–294section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294section 13 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1986 Amendments

Pub. L. 99–646Pub. L. 99–654section 87(e) of Pub. L. 99–646section 4 of Pub. L. 99–654section 2241 of this titleAmendments by and effective respectively 30 days after , and 30 days after , see and , set out as an Effective Date note under .