Persons Sentenced Under the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act (Policy Statement)

The sentencing guidelines do not apply to a defendant sentenced under the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 5031–5042). However, the sentence imposed upon a juvenile delinquent may not exceed the maximum of the guideline range applicable to an otherwise similarly situated adult defendant unless the court finds an aggravating factor sufficient to warrant imposing a sentence greater than that guideline range in determining the appropriate sentence to impose pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). See 18 U.S.C. § 5037(c); United States v. R.L.C., 503 U.S. 291 (1992). Therefore, a necessary step in ascertaining the maximum sentence that may be imposed upon a juvenile delinquent is the determination of the guideline range that would be applicable to a similarly situated adult defendant. Historical Note Effective November 1, 1993 (amendment 475). Amended effective November 1, 2025 (amendment 836).