Legal Definitions - administrative warrant

An administrative warrant is a legal document that allows an administrative body, like the Environmental Protection Agency, to search for violations of administrative rules and regulations. It is similar to a criminal warrant, but it requires a lower standard of probable cause to be granted.

For example, the Environmental Protection Agency may obtain an administrative warrant to investigate whether a factory is complying with waste dumping requirements. The warrant gives the administration the authority to confiscate any contraband discovered through one of these investigations.

Administrative agencies granted enforcement powers rely on the use of administrative warrants to ensure compliance with their standards. These warrants are governed by 49 USC §32707.