CPL § 140.30

Arrest without a warrant; by any person; when and where authorized · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 140.30 Arrest without a warrant; by any person; when and where

authorized.

1. Subject to the provisions of subdivision two, any person may arrest another person (a) for a felony when the latter has in fact committed such felony, and (b) for any offense when the latter has in fact committed such offense in his presence.

2. Such an arrest, if for a felony, may be made anywhere in the state. If the arrest is for an offense other than a felony, it may be made only in the county in which such offense was committed.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/CPL/140.30

In plain English

(1) Any person may arrest someone who actually committed a felony, or someone who actually committed any offense in that person’s presence. ★
(2) A felony arrest may be made anywhere in New York; an arrest for a non-felony may be made only in the county where the offense occurred.

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 2 — The Court Officer: Criminal Procedure Law; Volume 2 — Your Career: Criminal Procedure in Plain English.