Yes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the legal authority to authorize the seizure of an aircraft for several critical regulatory and legal violations. Under 14 CFR § 13.17, the FAA’s Chief Counsel or a Regional Administrator can issue an order to seize an aircraft if it is involved in a violation for which a civil penalty may be imposed. Common reasons for seizure in 2026 include registration violations, such as flying an aircraft with a revoked, suspended, or fraudulent certificate of registration, or registering the plane to a "fictitious person." More seriously, an aircraft can be seized for "forfeiture" if it is found to have facilitated a crime, such as drug trafficking or money laundering, or if it violated U.S. import/export control laws. Once an aircraft is seized, it is placed in a secure public storage facility, and the owner is issued a "Lien" against the plane. To get the aircraft back, the owner must typically pay the civil penalties, storage costs, and any maintenance fees accrued during the seizure. The FAA works closely with federal law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office to enforce these liens, making aircraft seizure a powerful tool for maintaining the safety and integrity of the national airspace.