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The Dept. of Homeland Security announced in a Final Rule that it is making the 2018 annual inflation adjustment to its civil monetary penalties. The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (2015 Act) was signed into law on November 2, 2015. Pursuant to the 2015 Act, all agencies must adjust civil monetary penalties annually and publish the adjustment in the Federal Register. The new penalties will be effective for penalties assessed after April 2, 2018 whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015.

The Coast Guard is authorized to assess close to 150 penalties involving maritime safety and security and environmental stewardship that are critical to the continued success of Coast Guard missions. Various statutes in titles 14, 16, 19, 33, 42, 46, and 49 of the United States Code authorize these penalties. Titles 33 and 46 authorize the vast majority of these penalties as these statutes deal with navigation, navigable waters, and shipping. Beyond titles 33 and 46, the Coast Guard is also authorized to collect civil monetary penalties related to the organization and management of the Coast Guard, aquatic species conservation, obstruction of revenue, and hazardous substances and materials.

For more information or to review the complete list of Coast Guard 2018 civil penalty adjustments, view the Final Rule.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.