18 U.S.C. § 2119
Section 2119 · Motor vehicles
Amended 3 times on record
Applied in 1,079 court decisions — leading case Rita v. United States (2007)
Most recently applied in 29 I. & N. Dec. 319 - W-F (September 2025)
Applied most in the First Circuit Circuit (128 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 924 · 18 U.S.C. § 922 · 18 U.S.C. § 3553
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm 1 takes a motor vehicle that has been transported, shipped, or received in interstate or foreign commerce from the person or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation, or attempts to do so, shall—
(1) be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both,
(2) if serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of this title, including any conduct that, if the conduct occurred in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, would violate section 2241 or 2242 of this title) results, be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 years, or both, and
(3) if death results, be fined under this title or imprisoned for any number of years up to life, or both, or sentenced to death.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
1996—Par. (2). Pub. L. 104–217 inserted “, including any conduct that, if the conduct occurred in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, would violate section 2241 or 2242 of this title” after “section 1365 of this title”.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322, §60003(a)(14), which directed the amendment of section 2119(3) of title 18 by substituting “, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm” for “, possessing a firearm as defined in section 921 of this title,”, was executed by making the substitution in introductory provisions rather than in par. (3), to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Par. (3). Pub. L. 103–322, §60003(a)(14), inserted before period at end “, or sentenced to death”.
Federal Cooperation To Prevent “Carjacking” and Motor Vehicle Theft
Section 101(b) of Pub. L. 102–519 provided that: “In view of the increase of motor vehicle theft with its growing threat to human life and to the economic well-being of the Nation, the Attorney General, acting through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorneys, is urged to work with State and local officials to investigate car thefts, including violations of section 2119 of title 18, United States Code, for armed carjacking, and as appropriate and consistent with prosecutorial discretion, prosecute persons who allegedly violate such law and other relevant Federal statutes.”