{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-and-asylum-act-1999/section-146",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-and-asylum-act-1999/section-146.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1999/33",
  "legislation_title": "Immigration and Asylum Act 1999",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/immigration-and-asylum-act-1999",
  "path": "section/146",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "146",
  "heading": "Use of force.",
  "text": "(1) An immigration officer exercising any power conferred on him by the Immigration Acts may, if necessary, use reasonable force.\n(2) A person exercising a power under any of the following may if necessary use reasonable force—\n(a) section 28CA, 28FA or 28FB of the 1971 Act (business premises: entry to arrest or search),\n(aa) paragraph 25CA, 25CB or 25CC of Schedule 2 to the 1971 Act (powers to search for and seize driving licences),\n(b) section 141 or 142 of this Act, and\n(c) regulations under section 144 of this Act.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 146(1) substituted (28.7.2014) by Immigration Act 2014 (c. 22), s. 75(3), Sch. 1 para. 5; S.I. 2014/1820, art. 3(y)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 146(2) substituted (8.1.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), s. 153(2) (with s. 159); S.I. 2002/2811, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 146(2)(aa) inserted (31.7.2017 for specified purposes) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), ss. 43(4), 94(1); S.I. 2017/799, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 146 extended (Guernsey) (with modifications) (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(1) of the amending S.I.) by The Immigration (Guernsey) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1560), arts. 1(1), 2, Schs. 1, 1A"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 146 partly in force; s. 146(1) in force at Royal Assent, see s. 170(3)(o)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2016/19",
      "affecting_title": "Immigration Act 2016"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1999/33/section/146",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:21:34.566084+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}