In response to the inflation impacting our country, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has increased the fine amount for trucking violations in 2023.
On January 6, the FMCSA published a Final Rule increasing the civil penalty amounts to be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations.
The changes are part of an annual adjustment to account for inflation, which are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015. Adjustments were also made to other agencies in the U.S. Department of Transportation. This act applies to all federal agencies, not just the DOT.
The latest adjustment is found by the department multiplying the maximum or minimum penalty amount by the percent change between the October 2022 consumer price index for all urban consumers and the same number for October 2021. This is based off guidance released by the White House Office of Management and Budget in December 2022. The previous fine amounts were multiplied by 1.07745.
For instance, an alcohol prohibition violation (first offense), 49 CFR 392.5, increased from $3,471 to $3,740.
The new fine amounts are effective immediately. See the fine increase amounts for violations below:
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