25 U.S.C. § 1321
Section 1321 · Assumption by State of criminal jurisdiction
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 118 court decisions — leading case Washington v. Confederated Bands & Tribes of the Yakima Indian Nation (1979)
Most recently applied in 2023 OK CR 10 - STATE v. BRESTER (May 2023)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 1162 · 28 U.S.C. § 1360 · 18 U.S.C. § 1151
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.
(1) In general
The consent of the United States is hereby given to any State not having jurisdiction over criminal offenses committed by or against Indians in the areas of Indian country situated within such State to assume, with the consent of the Indian tribe occupying the particular Indian country or part thereof which could be affected by such assumption, such measure of jurisdiction over any or all of such offenses committed within such Indian country or any part thereof as may be determined by such State to the same extent that such State has jurisdiction over any such offense committed elsewhere within the State, and the criminal laws of such State shall have the same force and effect within such Indian country or part thereof as they have elsewhere within that State.
(2) Concurrent jurisdiction
At the request of an Indian tribe, and after consultation with and consent by the Attorney General, the United States shall accept concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute violations of sections 1152 and 1153 of title 18 within the Indian country of the Indian tribe.
Nothing in this section shall authorize the alienation, encumbrance, or taxation of any real or personal property, including water rights, belonging to any Indian or any Indian tribe, band, or community that is held in trust by the United States or is subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States; or shall authorize regulation of the use of such property in a manner inconsistent with any Federal treaty, agreement, or statute or with any regulation made pursuant thereto; or shall deprive any Indian or any Indian tribe, band, or community of any right, privilege, or immunity afforded under Federal treaty, agreement, or statute with respect to hunting, trapping, or fishing or the control, licensing, or regulation thereof.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
2010—Pub. L. 111–211 substituted “Assumption by State of criminal jurisdiction” for “Assumption by State” in section catchline, inserted subsec. (a) heading, inserted par. (1) designation and heading, and added par. (2). Amendment to section catchline was executed as the probable intent of Congress, notwithstanding directory language which erroneously directed the amendment to subsec. (a).