28 U.S.C. § 452
Section 452 · Courts always open; powers unrestricted by expiration of sessions
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 79 court decisions — leading case Ahrens v. Clark (1948)
Most recently applied in Trump v. CASA, Inc. (June 2025)
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.
All courts of the United States shall be deemed always open for the purpose of filing proper papers, issuing and returning process, and making motions and orders.
The continued existence or expiration of a session of a court in no way affects the power of the court to do any act or take any proceeding.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§13 and 302 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§9, 189, 36 Stat. 1088, 1143; Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 488, §1, 45 Stat. 1475).
Sections 13 and 302 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., related only to district courts and the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, and this section has been written to cover all other courts of the United States.
Other provisions of said section 302 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 214, 456, and 604 of this title.
The phrase “always open” means “never closed” and signifies the time when a court can exercise its functions. With respect to matters enumerated by statute or rule as to which the court is “always open,” there is no time when the court is without power to act. (Ex parte Branch, 63 Ala. 383, 387.)
Section 13 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., provided that “The district courts, as courts of admiralty and as courts of equity, shall be deemed always open * * *” for enumerated purposes, and that the judge “at chambers or in the clerk's office, and in vacation as well as in term,” may make orders and issue process. The revised section omits all reference to the nature of the action or proceeding and enumeration of the acts which may be performed by the court. This is in accord with Rules 45(c) and 56 of the new Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure which contain similar provisions with respect to criminal procedure both in the courts of appeals and in the district courts.
Rules 6(c) and 77(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure contain provisions similar to the second and first paragraphs, respectively, of this section with respect to civil actions in district courts.
Amendments
1963—Pub. L. 88–139 substituted “expiration of sessions” for “terms” in section catchline, and “session” for “term” in text.
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
District courts always open, see rule 77, Appendix to this title.
One form of action, see rule 2.
Time unaffected by expiration of term, see rule 6.