Trespassing on CIA/NSA Property Now a Federal Crime: Repeat Offenses Could Mean 10 Years in Prison

The Intelligence Community Property Security Act of 2025 creates a brand new federal crime aimed at protecting the highly secure facilities run by agencies like the CIA, NSA, and others in the intelligence community. Simply put, if you step onto property owned or controlled by an intelligence agency that is clearly marked as "closed" or "restricted" without permission, you are now committing a federal offense.

The New Rules of the Fence Line

This bill adds a new rule to the National Security Act of 1947, specifically targeting unauthorized access. It’s essentially federalizing and escalating the penalty for trespassing on these specific government sites. The intent is clear: to beef up security and deterrence around the nation’s most sensitive installations. The key detail here is that the property must be clearly marked as restricted, meaning the government has to put up signs or barriers defining the off-limits area.

Escalating Penalties: From Misdemeanor to Major Felony

What makes this bill stand out is the severity of the penalties, which escalate quickly based on prior offenses. For a first-time offense, you could face a fine or up to 180 days in jail—a relatively standard misdemeanor for trespass. However, if you are caught doing this a second time, the penalty jumps to up to three years in prison. If you are caught a third time, or any subsequent time, you could be fined or imprisoned for up to 10 years. That’s a significant amount of time for a trespass violation, illustrating how seriously the government intends to treat security breaches at these specific facilities.

Who Needs to Pay Attention?

While this bill is designed to stop spies or serious security threats, the language applies to anyone who steps over that clearly marked line. This is where the rubber meets the road for everyday people, particularly activists, journalists, or even just confused drivers. If you’re a protester demonstrating near a restricted facility, crossing that boundary line—even briefly—now carries the risk of a serious federal charge and potentially a decade in prison if you have previous similar offenses.

For those of us who live or work near large, sprawling government complexes, this means paying extra close attention to signage. Since the bill hinges on the property being "clearly marked," the fairness of its application depends entirely on how well these agencies define their boundaries. If the markings are vague, obscured, or insufficient, it could create issues for people who genuinely mistake a boundary line. This law ensures that if you decide to jump the fence at an NSA data center, the consequences will be severe and federal, not just a local misdemeanor fine.