DOL Final Rule: Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Annual Adjustments for 2025

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the Department, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost-of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2025 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties.

DATES: This final rule is effective on January 15, 2025. As provided by the Inflation Adjustment Act, the increased penalty levels apply to any penalties assessed after January 15, 2025. Published in the Federal Register January 10, 2025, page 1854,

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§1903.15 Proposed penalties.

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(d) Adjusted civil monetary penalties. The adjusted civil penalties for penalties proposed on or after January 15, 2024 are as follows:

(1) Willful violation. The penalty per willful violation under section 17(a) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(a), shall not be less than $11,524 and shall not exceed $161,323.

(2) Repeated violation. The penalty per repeated violation under section 17(a) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(a), shall not exceed $161,323.

(3) Serious violation. The penalty for a serious violation under section 17(b) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(b), shall not exceed $16,131.

(4) Other-than-serious violation. The penalty for an other-than-serious violation under section 17(c) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(c), shall not exceed $16,131.

(5) Failure to correct violation. The penalty for a failure to correct a violation under section 17(d) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(d), shall not exceed $16,131 per day.

(6) Posting requirement violation. The penalty for a posting requirement violation under section 17(i) of the Act, 29 U.S.C. 666(i), shall not exceed $16,131.