Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustments

Summary: The FMCSA specifies inflation adjustments to civil penalty amounts assessed to those who violate the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs). Some of these adjustments are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Adjustment Act), as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA). Most of the civil penalties were last adjusted for inflation in 2007, and some have not been changed since 2003. Other changes to the civil penalties were mandated by Congress in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). This final rule ensures that FMCSA's civil penalties are consistent with the applicable statutes.