29 USC § 1131 - Criminal penalties

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t29/s1131"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "29 USC § 1131 - Criminal penalties"
title_number: 29
title_name: "LABOR"
section_number: "1131"
section_name: "Criminal penalties"
chapter_number: 18
chapter_name: "EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RIGHTS"
part_number: "5"
part_name: "administration and enforcement"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-73"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(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.)"
---


# § 1131. Criminal penalties

**(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.

---

**Source Credit**: (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— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

2002— 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 , to promulgate regulations wherever provisions of this subchapter call for the promulgation of regulations, see .