# Justice Manual § 9-112.110: Administrative Forfeiture Policy

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.110

## Section

- **Citation:** Justice Manual § 9-112.110
- **Heading:** Administrative Forfeiture Policy
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** DOJ Justice Manual / Title 9: Criminal / 9-112.000 - Administrative And Judicial Forfeiture / Justice Manual § 9-112.110

## Text

Properties subject to administrative forfeiture must be forfeited administratively, unless one of the following exceptions applies:

Where several items of personal property (other than monetary instruments) are subject to civil forfeiture under the same statutory authority, and on the same factual basis, and they have a common owner, and have a combined appraised value in excess of $500,000, the property should be forfeited judicially in a single action.
Where the items subject to forfeiture include some that can be forfeited administratively and others that must be forfeited judicially, the forfeitures may be combined in a single judicial action.
When pursuing administrative forfeiture might create the appearance that the Government is circumventing the time limits on administrative forfeiture set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 983(a), the forfeiture should be done judicially.
When the United States Attorney and the seizing agency agree that the forfeiture should proceed judicially in the first instance.
When the United States Attorney requests that the seizing agency suspend the administrative forfeiture to allow the forfeiture to be handled criminally, and the seizing agency agrees to do so, the forfeiture may be pursued exclusively as part of the criminal case.

See
Chapter 2 of the Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual ("Interplay of Administrative Forfeiture and Civil Forfeiture").

[updated May 2010] [cited in
JM 9-2.400
]

## Nearby sections

- [Justice Manual § 9-112.110 Administrative Forfeiture Policy](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.110.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.120 Interplay of Administrative Forfeiture and Criminal Forfeiture](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.120.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.130 Requesting the Seizing Agency to Suspend the Administrative Forfeiture](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.130.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.140 Conversion of Administrative Forfeitures Covered by the Customs Carve-Out in CAFRA to Judicial Forfeitures](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.140.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.150 Seizure Pursuant to a Criminal Warrant: Availability of Administrative Forfeiture](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.150.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.160 Motions for Reconsideration in Criminal Forfeiture Cases](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.160.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.170 Preference for Federal Forfeiture](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.170.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.210 Sixty-Day Notice Period in All Administrative Forfeiture Cases](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.210.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.220 Policy on the Deadline for Filing a Civil Forfeiture Action in Cases that do not Begin as Administrative Forfeiture Proceedings](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.220.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.230 Preservation Policy for Civil Forfeiture](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.230.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-112.240 Prior Approval Requirements](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.240.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-112.110. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.