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ERISA § 501 (29 U.S.C. § 1131)

Criminal penalties

USC 2024 ed., current through 2025-01-06 · current text · last amended by Pub. L. 111-148
(a) Any person who willfully violates any provision of part 1 of this subtitle, or any regulation or order issued under any such provision, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both; except that in the case of such violation by a person not an individual, the fine imposed upon such person shall be a fine not exceeding $500,000.
(b) Any person that violates section 1149 of this title shall upon conviction be imprisoned not more than 10 years or fined under title 18, or both.

(Pub. L. 93–406, title I, §501, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 891; Pub. L. 107–204, title IX, §904, July 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 805; Pub. L. 111–148, title VI, §6601(b), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 779.)

Editorial Notes
Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–148 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

2002—Pub. L. 107–204 substituted "$100,000" for "$5,000", "10 years" for "one year", and "$500,000" for "$100,000".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Regulations

Secretary authorized, effective Sept. 2, 1974, to promulgate regulations wherever provisions of this subchapter call for the promulgation of regulations, see section 1031 of this title.

Pension Law Library · https://pensionresource.website/EAMain?content=EAMain.Law&id=usc29-1131 · printed October 16, 2026. Unofficial copy compiled from official federal sources; verify against the official text before relying on it.