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Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996

חוק סדר הדין הפלילי (סמכויות אכיפה – מעצרים), תשנ"ו-1996

Published: 1996-05-12Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-06-30 · Last amended 2026-07-29✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-28
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More

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Despite these checks, it may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise renderings of legal terminology and cross-references, and it may not yet reflect the latest amendments. It cannot be relied upon as a legal text.

The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.

This translation is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified Expert Legal Opinion.

Section G: Video Conferencing

65a.§

(Repealed — תש״ע־3)

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Chapter III: Detention

Definitions§

66.

In this Chapter, "detention" — the restriction of a person's freedom to move freely, due to a suspicion that an offence has been committed or in order to prevent the commission of an offence, where the restriction of freedom is limited in advance in time and in purpose, all as set out in this Chapter.

Detention of a suspect on the spot§

67.
(a)Where a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has committed an offence, or that the person is about to commit an offence liable to endanger the safety or security of a person, or public safety or State security, the officer may detain that person in order to ascertain the person's identity and address, or in order to question the person and to deliver documents to the person, at the place where the person is found.
(b)A police officer may require a person to accompany the officer to the police station or to summon the person to the police station for another time to be determined, if both of the following conditions are met:
(1)there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the person has committed an offence, or there is a high probability that the person is about to commit an offence as referred to in subsection (a);
(2)identification was insufficient, or it was not possible to question the person at the place where the person was found.

Detention of a witness on the spot§

68.
(a)Where a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence has been committed, the officer may detain a person who is able to provide information relating to that offence, in order to ascertain the person's identity and address and in order to question the person at the place where the person is found; and the officer may also summon that person to a nearby police station for another reasonable time to be determined, for the purpose of carrying out those actions.
(b)Where identification was insufficient, or where there was concern that the person would not appear for questioning at the appointed time, the police officer may request that person to accompany the officer to the police station for the purpose of taking the person's statement.

Detention for the purpose of a search and inspection of documents§

69.

Where a power has been granted by legislation to search a place, the belongings or the body of a person, or to require a person to produce documents, the holder of that power may detain a person or a vehicle in order to enable the search or the inspection of documents, and may also require the person to provide the person's name and address.

Detention for the purpose of executing an arrest order or imprisonment order§

70.
(a)Where a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an arrest order or imprisonment order has been issued against a person, the officer may detain that person until a copy of the order is obtained, for the purpose of executing the arrest or imprisonment pursuant thereto.
(b)Where a copy of the order cannot be obtained on the spot, a police officer may require that person to accompany the officer to the police station for the purpose of obtaining the order and for the purpose of executing the arrest or imprisonment pursuant thereto.

Detention of a vehicle for the purpose of a search§

71.
(a)Where a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an arrestable offence has been committed and considers that it is necessary to search a vehicle in order to locate the perpetrator of the offence or the victim thereof, or in order to locate evidence connected to the offence, the officer may order the detention of the vehicle and may carry out the said search.
(b)The provisions of subsection (a) shall also apply where there is a concern that an offence from among those listed in section 35(b) is about to be committed, or where there is a high probability that an arrestable offence is about to be committed.

Procedure for detention§

72.
(a)The provisions of section 24 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to a person carrying out a detention.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), a police officer carrying out a detention pursuant to section 71 shall identify themselves in accordance with the provisions of section 5a of the Police Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971.

Limited search of the body of a detained person§

72a.
(a)A police officer may conduct a limited search of the body of a detained person, upon the person's entry into a vehicle in use by the Israel Police or into an ambulance, accompanied by a police officer, for the purpose of seizing a weapon or any other object that may endanger the safety of a person or public security, or that may assist in the person's escape, even without suspicion that the person is carrying such an object, and the police officer may seize an object discovered in the course of the search.
(b)Where the detained person is a suspect in an offence and objects to the conduct of a limited search of the person's body pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a), the police officer may use reasonable force for the purpose of carrying out the search.
(c)Where a search was conducted, or an object was seized in the course of the search, or force was used pursuant to the provisions of this section, this shall be noted in the detention report prepared pursuant to section 74.
(d)A search of the body of a person pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) shall be conducted by a person of the same sex as the person being searched, unless one of the following applies:
(1)that person has consented to the search being conducted by a person who is not of the same sex, after the person's right not to consent to such a search has been explained to the person;
(2)it is not possible to conduct the search by a person of the same sex, and postponement of the search entails an unreasonable risk to public safety or to the safety of a person.
(e)Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, the provisions of this section shall apply only to a police officer as defined in the Police Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971.
(f)In this section –

"limited search of the body" – a search over the surface of a person's body that does not include the removal of a garment exposing bodily parts that were covered, other than the removal of a covering from the face or head or the removal of shoes, as well as a search of the clothing or belongings of a person that the person is carrying on the body or that are in the person's immediate proximity and control, and excluding an external search or an internal search as defined in the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Body Search and Taking of Identification Measures), 5756-1996;

"weapon" – as defined in the Powers for the Preservation of Public Security Law, 5765-2005.

Duration of detention§

73.
(a)A person or a vehicle shall not be detained for longer than the reasonable time required, in the circumstances of the case, for carrying out the action for the purpose of which the power of detention was granted.
(b)In any event, a person or a vehicle shall not be detained for a period exceeding three hours; however, where a detention is connected to a large number of persons involved, the officer in charge may extend the duration of the detention for an additional period not exceeding a further three hours, for reasons that shall be recorded.

Report on detention§

74.

Upon the conclusion of a detention, the person who carried out the detention shall prepare a report in which the person shall set out the name of the person who was detained, the reason for the detention and the duration of the detention, if one of the following has occurred:

(1)the person was brought to the police station or was summoned thereto;
(2)the person was detained for a period of twenty minutes or more.

Detention by a private individual§

75.
(a)Any person may detain another person until the arrival of a police officer if one of the following applies:
(1)the person is suspected of having committed, in the detaining person's presence, an offence of violence, a felony, theft or an offence that caused substantial damage to property;
(2)another person calling for assistance points to a person suspected of having committed, in that other person's presence, an offence as referred to in paragraph (1),

and all of the above provided that there is a concern that the suspect will flee or that the suspect's identity is not known.

(b)A suspect who has been detained pursuant to subsection (a) shall be handed over to a police officer without delay, provided that the detention shall not exceed three hours.
(c)A person carrying out a detention pursuant to subsection (a) may use reasonable force if the suspect refused to comply with the request for detention, provided that the use of force shall not be such as to cause bodily harm to the suspect.

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Chapter IV: Miscellaneous

Amendment of the Criminal Procedure Law – No. 24§

76.

In the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982, sections 21 to 25 and 27 to 57 are repealed.

Amendment of the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Arrest and Search) – No. 9§

77.

In the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Arrest and Search) [New Version], 5729-1969 –

(1)in section 8, instead of "for the purposes of this Section" there shall come "for the purposes of the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996";
(2)sections 2 to 7 and 9 to 18a are repealed;
(3)in section 44, after "on account of arrest" there shall come "or detention".

Amendment of the Penal Law – No. 50§

78.

In the Penal Law, 5737-1977 –

(1)in section 124 –
(a)subsection (b) is repealed;
(b)in subsection (c), instead of "the Criminal Procedure Law, 5725-1965" there shall come "the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982".
(2)in section 125(a), instead of the opening words up to "however" there shall come "Notwithstanding the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996".

Amendment of the Military Justice Law – No. 31§

79.

In the Military Justice Law, 5715-1955 –

(1)after section 227 there shall come:

"Application of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests)

227a. Without derogating from the provisions of section 227, the provisions of sections 32 to 36 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996, shall apply to an arrest under sections 231 and 237a, all as the case may be, and with the following necessary modifications:

(1)the powers vested in the officer in charge shall be vested in a military police officer;
(2)the powers vested in a police officer of the rank of superintendent and above shall be vested in a military police officer of the rank of captain, at least;
(3)the powers vested in the Inspector General of the Police shall be vested in the chief military police officer;
(4)the powers vested in the Attorney General shall be vested in the Military Advocate General;
(5)the powers vested in a judge or the President of the District Court and in a judge of the Supreme Court shall be vested, as the case may be, in a judge or the President of a military district court or a special military court and in a judge of the military court of appeals; before a military court, a military prosecutor shall appear on behalf of the Israel Defence Forces;
(6)the right to meet with an advocate shall be only with an advocate who is qualified to serve as defence counsel pursuant to section 318.";
(2)in section 243a, in subsection (b), instead of "sections 33 to 49 of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982" there shall come "sections 41 and 44 to 58 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996";
(3)in section 243b, in subsection (a), instead of "sections 51 to 54 of the Criminal Procedure Law [Consolidated Version], 5742-1982" there shall come "sections 59 to 62 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996";
(4)after section 243b there shall come:

"Limitation on the application of the Criminal Procedure Law

243c. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 1(c) of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996, that Law shall apply to arrest proceedings under this Law only where this Law has referred thereto."

Amendment of Emergency Search Powers Law (Temporary Provision) – No. 5§

80.

In the Emergency Search Powers Law (Temporary Provision), 5729-1969 –

(1)In section 1 –
(a)in the definition of "Civil Defence member", instead of "who has been granted arrest powers under section 4 of the Ordinance" there shall come "whom the Head of Civil Defence or a District Civil Defence Commander, as stated in that Law, has authorised to exercise powers under this Law, who has received appropriate training therefor and against whose authorisation there is no impediment on grounds of public security."
(b)in the definition of "soldier", instead of "who has been granted arrest powers under section 4 of the Ordinance" there shall come "whom an officer of a rank not lower than colonel, appointed for this purpose by the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces, has authorised to exercise powers under this Law, who has received appropriate training therefor and against whose authorisation there is no impediment on grounds of public security."
(2)After section 2(b) there shall come:

"(c) For the purpose of exercising his powers under this section, a person holding powers under subsection (b) may detain a person as referred to in sections 67 and 71 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996; if the person refused to be detained or searched and there is suspicion that that person is unlawfully carrying a knife, firearm or explosive, he may arrest him and the duties applicable to a police officer carrying out an arrest under the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996 shall apply, as shall section 44 of the Ordinance."

Amendment of the Fines, Fees and Costs Collection Authority Law§

81.

In the Fines, Fees and Costs Collection Authority Law, 5755-1995, in section 1, in the definition of "debt", at the end of paragraph (6)(a) thereof, there shall come "and in section 38 of the Criminal Procedure Law (Enforcement Powers – Arrests), 5756-1996".

Transitional provision§

82.

A public servant who was authorised by the Minister for Internal Security with powers of arrest before the commencement of this Law shall be deemed to have been authorised pursuant to this Law.

Commencement§

83.

This Law shall commence one year after its publication.

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