Cost of DOT Non-Compliance Goes up for 2024

Wayne Schooling • February 1, 2024

Increased civil penalties affect all DOT agencies

The U.S. Department of Transportation has increased its maximum fines by 3.2 percent for the new year.

The increase affects all fines (known as civil penalties) levied by agencies within the DOT, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

The annual increase is required by law and is pegged to inflation, which has eased in the past year. By comparison, last year’s increase was nearly 8 percent, while the increase for 2022 was just over 6 percent. Prior to that, increases had generally been around 1 percent each year.

The increase means federal penalties levied on motor carriers, drivers, and others for violations of DOT regulations will be going up, effective December 28, 2023. For example, a highway safety violation that might have cost up to $18,170 earlier in 2023 could now result in a fine of $18,760.

The complete list of maximum civil penalties is found in Appendices A and B to 49 CFR Part 386.

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