50 CFR §12.31

1. (a)Property seized for violations of the laws identified in § 12.2 and subject to forfeiture may be forfeited, depending upon the nature of the property and the law involved, through criminal forfeiture proceedings, civil judicial procedures, or civil administrative procedures.
2. (b)The process used also may be determined in certain circumstances by the actions of an interested party. For example, a person claiming property seized in an administrative civil forfeiture proceeding under a civil forfeiture statute may choose to file a claim after the seizure rather than to pursue administrative relief through a petition for remission of forfeiture.
3. (c)A claim that is timely and contains the information required by § 12.36 will terminate the administrative proceeding and will cause the Service, through the Solicitor, to refer the claim to the U.S. Department of Justice with the request that a judicial forfeiture action be instituted in Federal court.