Discord Preservation and Emergency Requests: Police Guide & Template

Discord evidence can disappear quickly when a user deletes messages, leaves a server or closes an account, so investigators often need two things before anything else: a preservation request to hold account data while legal process is prepared, and, where a life is at risk, an emergency disclosure request (EDR). This guide covers only those two routes, using Discord's own page "How Discord Works with Law Enforcement" (last updated May 2, 2025, according to the page) and the text of the federal statutes. It includes a template for each. For the rest of the process, see our Discord law enforcement data request guide.

Getting access to the Portal

Discord says an account is necessary. You verify your government email address through a link, then complete a webform about your identity and agency. Kodex then verifies your identity and governmental affiliation, and Discord says accounts are approved only for valid governmental email domains. Through the Portal Discord asks you to submit emergency disclosure requests, preservation requests, requests for user data under valid legal process, content reports and takedown requests, and general questions.

Which address US agencies use. The address Discord gives for all governmental and law enforcement requests, in its "Contacting Discord" section, is app.kodexglobal.com/discord/signin, and that is the one to use. The page prints a second address, app.kodex.us/discord/signin, only in its "European Contact Points" section, as its contact point under the EU Digital Services Act (Article 11) and its reporting channel for trusted flaggers under the UK Online Safety Act. Reach the Portal by following the link from Discord's own page rather than from a search result or message.

Which identifiers Discord accepts

• Account: a 17- or 18-digit Discord user ID, a Discord username (case sensitive), an email address or a phone number.
• Server: the server ID. Message: the message ID. Discord links to its support article on finding these IDs.
• Not sufficient: a display name. Discord says display names are not required to be unique and can change at any time.
• Usernames come in two formats: original usernames end with a discriminator (a hash and four digits, for example Discord#4444) and new usernames have none and use only lowercase letters, numbers, periods and underscores. Users can change usernames, and Discord says it can locate an account by a former username.
• Upload supporting documents (such as preservation letters, legal process and nondisclosure orders) as non-editable PDF files.

Discord preservation requests

Legal basis. Discord says its approach is consistent with 18 U.S.C. § 2703(f). The statute (read at govinfo.gov) requires a provider, on the request of a governmental entity, to "take all necessary steps to preserve records and other evidence in its possession pending the issuance of a court order or other process." Records are retained for 90 days, extended for an additional 90-day period on a renewed request by the governmental entity.

What Discord says it does. It preserves account data in response to a government request for an initial 90 days, subject to extension for an additional 90 days when you submit an extension request. It adds that in certain circumstances it may agree to extend a preservation for longer, and that it accepts preservation requests directly from foreign law enforcement.

Reference number. When you later submit legal process to obtain preserved data, Discord asks you to include its internal reference number (in the form DISC-#####) in that process.

User notice. Discord says it does not notify users of preservation requests. It also says that when it does give a user notice about a request for data, it will preserve the information sought before giving that notice.

What the page does not say. It does not list which data categories are covered by a preservation ("account data" is the only description), does not state a processing time, and does not say what happens to preserved data if no legal process arrives. It does not describe retention periods for messages or other content.

Discord emergency disclosure requests

Discord says it discloses data in response to emergency disclosure requests submitted by US or foreign law enforcement when it has a good faith belief that an emergency involving an imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury requires disclosure of information without delay. It cites 18 U.S.C. § 2702(b)(8) and (c)(4). The statutory text at govinfo.gov permits a provider to disclose to a governmental entity if it believes in good faith that an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person requires disclosure without delay of communications (b)(8) or of other information (c)(4) relating to the emergency. The statute permits the disclosure; it does not compel it.

Discord asks that an EDR:

• provide specific details about the nature of the emergency that poses an imminent risk of serious bodily injury or death;
• identify the specific type or types of data requested; and
• explain how the data you seek will help address the emergency.

Include a valid identifier as above. Discord's page does not state a response time or an on-call arrangement, so do not assume one. It says officials with questions can use the Portal and that its Legal Response Team reviews them.

Templates (adapt to your agency's format; not legal advice)

These are our own drafts, written to the details Discord's page lists. The Portal has its own forms and fields; use these as the text you attach or paste.

Preservation request (attach as non-editable PDF)

[AGENCY LETTERHEAD]

[DATE]

To: Discord Inc., 444 De Haro Street Suite 200, San Francisco, California 94107
[Discord's page directs requests for data of users in the European Economic Area to Discord Netherlands B.V. instead]
Submitted via: Discord Government Request Portal

RE: Request to preserve account data under 18 U.S.C. section 2703(f)
[ORIGINAL REQUEST / EXTENSION REQUEST: if an extension, give the original Portal reference or DISC-##### number]

Requesting agency: [AGENCY, ADDRESS]
Requesting officer: [NAME, TITLE, BADGE/ID NUMBER, GOVERNMENT EMAIL, PHONE]
Case number: [CASE NUMBER]

This agency is conducting a criminal investigation. Under 18 U.S.C. section 2703(f), we request that Discord preserve all available account data associated with the following identifier(s) pending the issuance of a search warrant or other legal process:

- User ID: [17- OR 18-DIGIT NUMBER]
- Username: [CASE-SENSITIVE USERNAME, including discriminator if an original username]
- [Optional, if known: email / phone number / server ID [SERVER ID] / message ID [MESSAGE ID]]

Date range: [START DATE] to [END DATE]

Legal process will follow. Please confirm receipt and provide your reference number to [GOVERNMENT EMAIL].

[SIGNATURE]
[NAME, TITLE]

Emergency disclosure request

Submitted via: Discord Government Request Portal (Emergency Disclosure Request)
Requesting officer: [NAME, TITLE, BADGE/ID NUMBER]
Agency, government email, phone: [AGENCY], [EMAIL], [PHONE]
Case or incident number: [NUMBER]

Identifier(s): User ID [17- OR 18-DIGIT NUMBER] / username [CASE-SENSITIVE USERNAME] / server ID [SERVER ID] / message ID [MESSAGE ID]

Nature of the emergency: [FACTUAL DESCRIPTION, INCLUDING WHEN IT AROSE AND HOW IT CAME TO YOUR ATTENTION]
Imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury: [WHO IS AT RISK AND WHY THE RISK IS IMMINENT]
Specific data requested: [DATA TYPES AND DATE RANGE]
How this data will help address the emergency: [EXPLAIN]
Related Cybertip number, if any: [NUMBER]

I certify that the information above is accurate to the best of my knowledge. [SIGNATURE / DATE]

Common mistakes Discord's guidance points to

• Identifying an account by display name only.
• Sending a request by mail or other means instead of the Portal.
• Forgetting that usernames are case sensitive.
• Uploading editable documents instead of non-editable PDFs.
• Omitting the DISC-##### reference number when sending later legal process for preserved data.
• For EDRs, giving a vague description instead of specifics on the emergency, the data sought and how it will help.

If your request follows a Cybertip report from Discord to NCMEC, Discord asks you to include the Cybertip number.

Related

• Discord law enforcement data request guide
• Police data-request directory (LERS)
• Investigator handbook: United States

Sources

• Discord: How Discord Works with Law Enforcement
• 18 U.S.C. § 2703 (govinfo.gov)
• 18 U.S.C. § 2702 (govinfo.gov)

This guide is for authorised law enforcement and government use and is not legal advice; confirm current requirements on Discord's own page before you send anything. For other platforms see our police data-request directory, and if you are a victim rather than an investigator, start with our country-by-country cybercrime help hub.