DOT, EPA, & OSHA Cancel Penalty Increases for 2026

This year, for the first time since 2016, agencies such as US DOT, US EPA, and OSHA will not increase their maximum civil penalties for violations of workplace health and safety regulations.

The law requires these agencies to increase civil penalties annually to keep pace with inflation, and to base that increase on a very specific data point typically provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)—the most recent October Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Because funding for the Federal government lapsed in Fall 2025, BLS never produced this information. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo telling Federal agencies that the 2026 penalty adjustment is cancelled.

Current (2025–2026) Civil Penalty Maximums

US DOT PHMSA

The maximum civil penalties for violations of US hazmat shipping and transportation regulations are:

• $102,348 per day, per violation for a hazardous materials violation.
• $238,809 per day, per violation for a violation resulting in death, serious illness, severe injury, or substantial property damage.
• $102,348 per day, per violation for failure to provide hazmat training for employees. The minimum penalty for failure to provide hazmat training is $617.

US EPA

OSHA

Currently, the maximum civil penalty for a willful or repeat violation by an employer is $165,514. The minimum price tag for a willful violation is $11,823. Violations labeled as serious, other-than-serious, “failure to abate,” or “failure to post,” carry a maximum penalty of $16,550.

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Tags: enforcement, fines and penalties, osha, penalties