---
title: "Extradition — AP Gov Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "Extradition is when one state hands over a fugitive to the state where the crime happened, required by Article IV. Key to AP Gov Topic 1.7 on interstate relations."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-gov/key-terms/extradition"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP US Government"
unit: "Unit 1"
---

# Extradition — AP Gov Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

Extradition is the constitutional process (Article IV, Section 2) by which a state surrenders a person charged with a crime to the state where the crime was committed, one of the obligations states owe each other under federalism in AP Gov Topic 1.7.

## What It Is

Extradition is what happens when someone commits a crime in one state and flees to another. The state where they're hiding has to hand them back over to the state that wants to prosecute them. [The Constitution](/ap-gov/key-terms/the-constitution "fv-autolink") requires this in Article IV, Section 2, which is why it's often called the [Extradition Clause](/ap-gov/key-terms/extradition-clause "fv-autolink").

Here's the big-picture logic. Under [federalism](/ap-gov/unit-1/relationship-between-states-federal-government/study-guide/kp9bW6CAUn0T0GiGqDUO "fv-autolink"), each state is its own legal jurisdiction with its own criminal laws and courts. Without extradition, crossing a state line would basically be a get-out-of-jail-free card. The Framers built this rule into Article IV (along with the Full Faith and Credit Clause and the Privileges and Immunities Clause) so the states would function as one country, not 50 separate ones. Extradition also exists internationally, where it's governed by treaties between countries, but for the AP exam the focus is the interstate version.

## Why It Matters

Extradition lives in **Topic 1.7, Relationship Between States and the Federal Government**, in [Unit 1](/ap-gov/unit-1 "fv-autolink"). It supports learning objective [AP Gov](/ap-gov "fv-autolink") 1.7.A, which asks you to explain how the constitutional allocation of power between national and state governments affects society. Most of federalism is about the vertical relationship (national vs. state power), but Article IV covers the horizontal one, meaning what states owe each other. Extradition is one of those obligations. It shows that even though states have reserved powers and run their own criminal justice systems, the Constitution sets limits so that state sovereignty doesn't break national unity. That tension between state authority and national cohesion is the core argument of Unit 1.

## Connections

### [Full Faith and Credit Clause (Unit 1)](/ap-gov/key-terms/full-faith-and-credit-clause)

Extradition's sibling in Article IV. Full faith and credit makes states honor each other's [court rulings](/ap-gov/key-terms/court-rulings "fv-autolink") and public records, while extradition makes states hand over fugitives. Together they're the Constitution's rules for how states treat each other, and the exam loves testing which clause does which job.

### [Extradition Clause (Unit 1)](/ap-gov/key-terms/extradition-clause)

The specific constitutional text behind the process. Extradition is the action; the Extradition Clause (Article IV, Section 2) is the provision that requires it. If a question quotes Article IV directly, this is the clause it's pointing to.

### [Dual Federalism (Unit 1)](/ap-gov/key-terms/dual-federalism)

Extradition proves that even under a 'layer cake' model where states run their own affairs, the Constitution forces cooperation. States get to define and punish crimes themselves (a reserved power), but they can't shelter another state's fugitives.

### [Constitution (Unit 1)](/ap-gov/key-terms/constitution)

Extradition was one of the [Framers](/ap-gov/key-terms/framers "fv-autolink")' fixes for the weak interstate relations under the Articles of Confederation. Putting it in Article IV stitched the states into a single legal community instead of a loose club of mini-countries.

## On the AP Exam

Extradition shows up almost entirely in multiple-choice questions about Article IV and interstate relations. The classic setup gives you a scenario (a person commits a crime in Georgia, gets arrested in Ohio) and asks which constitutional provision applies, or it asks you to match clauses to their functions. Practice questions in this area routinely test the difference between extradition and full faith and credit, like asking which clause requires states to honor legal decisions from other states (that's full faith and credit, not extradition). No released FRQ has centered on extradition, but it can earn you points as supporting evidence in a Concept Application or Argument Essay about federalism and the obligations states owe each other.

## extradition vs Full Faith and Credit Clause

Both come from Article IV and both govern state-to-state obligations, which is exactly why they get mixed up. Full faith and credit is about recognizing paperwork. A driver's license, court judgment, or marriage record from one state has to be honored in another. Extradition is about people. It requires a state to physically return someone charged with a crime to the state seeking prosecution. Quick check on the MCQ stem: if it's a document or court decision, it's full faith and credit; if it's a fugitive, it's extradition.

## Key Takeaways

- Extradition requires a state to surrender a person charged with a crime to the state where the crime was committed, and it's mandated by Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution.
- It's a horizontal federalism concept, meaning it governs obligations between states rather than the balance of power between states and the national government.
- Extradition exists because each state is its own criminal jurisdiction; without it, fleeing across state lines would let fugitives escape prosecution.
- Don't confuse it with full faith and credit, which covers documents and court rulings, while extradition covers people accused of crimes.
- On the AP exam, extradition appears in Topic 1.7 under learning objective AP Gov 1.7.A and is most often tested in scenario-based multiple-choice questions about Article IV.

## FAQs

### What is extradition in AP Gov?

Extradition is the process by which one state formally surrenders a person charged with or convicted of a crime to the state seeking prosecution. It's required by Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution and is part of Topic 1.7 on interstate relations.

### What's the difference between extradition and full faith and credit?

Full faith and credit (Article IV, Section 1) requires states to honor each other's legal documents and court decisions, like licenses and judgments. Extradition (Article IV, Section 2) requires states to return fugitives. Documents go with full faith and credit; people go with extradition.

### Can a state refuse to extradite someone to another state?

Constitutionally, no. Article IV, Section 2 makes extradition an obligation, not an option, when another state demands a person charged with a crime. This is one way the Constitution limits state sovereignty to keep the union functioning as one legal community.

### Where is extradition in the Constitution?

Article IV, Section 2, the same article that contains the [Full Faith and Credit Clause](/ap-gov/key-terms/full-faith-and-credit-clause "fv-autolink") and the Privileges and Immunities Clause. Article IV is the Constitution's rulebook for how states must treat each other.

### Is extradition about federal power or state power?

Neither exactly. It's about state-to-state obligations under federalism. States keep their reserved power to run their own criminal justice systems, but the Constitution requires them to cooperate so that state lines don't become escape routes for fugitives.

## Related Study Guides

- [1.7 Relationship Between States and the Federal Government](/ap-gov/unit-1/relationship-between-states-federal-government/study-guide/kp9bW6CAUn0T0GiGqDUO)

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