Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25) – Section 47 – Postal services: interception for enforcement purposes

Sections

Section 47Postal services: interception for enforcement purposes

(1) The interception of a communication in the course of its transmission by means of a public postal service is authorised by this section if it is carried out by an officer of Revenue and Customs under section 159 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, as applied by virtue of—

(a)
section 105 of the Postal Services Act 2000 (power to open postal items etc.), or
(b)
that section and another enactment.

(2) The interception of a communication in the course of its transmission by means of a public postal service is authorised by this section if it is carried out under paragraph 9 of Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (port and border controls) [^F1or under paragraph 9 of Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (border security)] .

Amended text

This Section is shown as amended by Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (see the annotations below), as incorporated in the text in force on 7 October 2026 as published on legislation.gov.uk.

Annotations

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 47(2) inserted (13.8.2020) by Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (c. 3), s. 27(2)(d), Sch. 4 para. 33; S.I. 2020/792, reg. 2(i)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 47 in force at 27.6.2018 by S.I. 2018/652, reg. 8(p)

https://ipa.digiphile.law/article/article-47.html

Text as at 7 October 2026.

This is an unofficial convenience version of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. It is presented “as is” without guarantee of accuracy, completeness or reliability. See the source text for the official version. This site was last updated in October 2026.