Director's Report on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts' Activities

On June 2, 2015, Congress enacted the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 (Pub. L. No. 114-23).  One of the provisions of this Act, codified at 50 U.S.C. § 1873 (a) (2), which requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) to publish the report on the AO’s internet website. 

The report is required to contain the following information (unless otherwise stated, all section numbers refer to Title 50 of the U.S. Code):  

1. the number of applications or certifications for orders submitted under each of sections 1805, 1824, 1842, 1861, 1881a, 1881b, and 1881c;
2. the number of such orders granted under each of those sections;
3. the number of orders modified under each of those sections;
4. the number of applications or certifications denied under each of those sections;
5. the number of appointments of an individual to serve as amicus curiae under section 1803, including the name of each individual appointed to serve as amicus curiae;
6. the number of findings issued under section 1803(i) that such appointment is not appropriate; and
7. the number of times the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review exercised authority under Chapter 21 of Title 18 and a description of each use of such authority.

Report

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2024 (PDF)

• Corrections made in June 2025: The redacted information in the report—the number of certification(s) submitted under 50 U.S.C. § 1881a and the number of certification(s) pending—is no longer considered classified by the executive branch, and those redactions have been removed. The report also now includes the number of times the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review exercised authority under chapter 21 of Title 18 and a description of each use of such authority as required by § 1873(a)(1)(G), as amended by the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISAA).

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2023 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2022 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2021 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2020 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2019 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2018 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2017 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2016 (PDF)

Report of the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on activities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts for 2015 (PDF)