Currently there is no dedicated federal statute making it a specific crime to trespass on Department of Defense property. The GATE CRASHERS Act creates a new federal offense for entering any DoD facility clearly marked as closed or restricted without authorization. Penalties increase significantly with repeat offenses: a first violation carries up to 6 months in jail, a second offense up to 3 years, and a third or subsequent offense up to 10 years. The law covers the full range of DoD installations and other property under the department's control that has been clearly marked as restricted.
Criminal Justice & Due Process
- Federal criminal penalties for DoD facility trespass — Established at graduated tiers (up to 10 years for third offense)
Congressional Summary
Guarding and Administering Trespass Enforcement, Controlling Restricted Areas, and Stopping High-risk Encroachment Recidivism and Sabotage Act or the GATE CRASHERS ActThis bill establishes a new federal criminal offense for going onto Department of Defense property that is closed or restricted without authorization.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-08-01
- Date Added
- 2026-06-13
- Source
- Congress.gov →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.